Archive through June 21, 2002
TV ClubHouse: archives: Colorado Fires:
Archive through June 21, 2002
Gail | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 04:46 pm     From our local news - she was burning a letter from her estranged husband and the sparks jumped out of the ring of rocks. |
Webkitty | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 04:59 pm     She had to go all the way out into the woods to burn the letter? She couldn't have ripped it up and thrown it in the garbage can? Geesh, talk about dramatic.........I hope they throw the book at her. |
Buttercup | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 05:10 pm     Some people's actions just leave me speechless sometimes. |
Gail | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 05:23 pm     The charges (so far) are giving false information, lighting a fire in a forest during a fire ban and causing damage over 100,000. They said on the news the maximum could be 15 years in jail and $500,000 in fines. |
Kaili | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 06:23 pm     So she started a fire while enforcing the fire ban...that's just ridiculous!! I can't even imagine being the person responsible for all of that. |
Gail | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 06:43 pm     I would imagine the past week has been pretty bad for her if she has any kind of conscience. She is scheduled to make an appearance in court tomorrow. From AOL - CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (June 16) - A U.S. Forest Service employee set the fire that scorched more than 100,000 acres in Colorado and forced thousands to evacuate by burning a letter from her estranged husband in the Pike National Forest, authorities said Sunday. Forestry technician Terry Barton, 38, admitted starting the fire while patrolling the forest to enforce a fire ban, said assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Leone. She was charged with setting fire to timber in the national forest, damaging federal property and making false statements to investigators, Leone said. Barton said she started burning the letter from her estranged husband within a designated campfire ring, where fires normally would be allowed, then tried to put out the blaze. 'She attempted to suppress the fire but it grew,' Leone said. Barton initially told authorities she discovered an illegal campfire and had tried to put it out by throwing dirt on it, but it was too late. An investigation led the Forest Service to doubt her story, Leone said. |
Whoami | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 06:55 pm     How absurd. If they don't hang her out to dry, I'm gonna be sick. This is one instance where I would wholeheartedly encourage and support lawsuits up the wazoo. She was ON DUTY for crying out loud!!! The Forest Service is very much liable for her actions, and could/should be named in a suit. That will probably be the only way to encourage them to throw the book at her. What a complete fool. |
Kaili | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 07:06 pm     What made her come out and admit her responsibility after this much time? Any idea? |
Gail | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 07:21 pm     I think according to the news articles, the authorities started investigating her because they doubted her story - I think the fire started in her area of patrol and she was the one who reported it. The details are still a little vague right now - I will check in the morning when the local newpaper posts details. http://www.gazette.com/ |
Tess | Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 07:30 pm     This is unbelievably disgusting. All that devestation over sheer stupidity and blatant disregard for the law, the environment and her fellow human beings... |
Max | Monday, June 17, 2002 - 08:35 am     Kinda makes you wonder what was in that letter, doesn't it? I mean, why would you need to BURN a letter from your ex? And why would you need to burn it RIGHT NOW while you're in a forest that you have been hired to patrol looking for people who might be starting illegal fires? Enquiring minds want to know. |
Lostinthefog | Monday, June 17, 2002 - 10:25 am     Two possible fines were announced on the news over the weekend--a possible $500,000 fine for Andersen Accounting and a possible $500,000 fine for the woman who started the Colorado wilderness fires. It is obvious who would be more damaged by a half million dollar fine. It is obvious who could actually pay the fine. Justice can be strange. |
Kaili | Monday, June 17, 2002 - 01:42 pm     This is the first part of an article on http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/06/17/colorado.fires/index.html Terry Barton, arrested Sunday in connection with the fire that has charred more than 100,000 acres south of Denver, was read her rights and appointed an attorney during her first appearance Monday in federal court. "We believe if she were not detained, she would return to a community in which there is considerable hostility towards her, which would add to the prospect of her being a flight risk," John Suthers, U.S. attorney for Colorado, said afterward. Barton, 38, is charged with setting fire to timber in a national forest, damaging federal property and making false statements to federal fire investigators. If convicted on all counts, she could be sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined up to $500,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday. |
Gail | Monday, June 17, 2002 - 04:25 pm     They are saying on the local news tonight that it is possible she had a different motive then first announced - that she purposely started the fire so she could put it out and be a hero. It's kind of weird - I was at physical therapy earlier this afternoon and my therapist and I were talking about this. I told her when I first heard that a forest ranger started the fire I thought it was to show how much they are needed because she was the one who initially reported the fire. Guess I was pretty close to the target. I was actually feeling sorry for her because in the newspaper her community was talking about what a really terrific person she was but now I don't feel sorry for her at all. Hmmmmm . . . Today, the winds took a major shift in a different direction - I am sitting here at my computer and thinking about how bad the smell of smoke is in my house. To the north and west of me, the sky is all hazy and brown from the fire that this "hero" caused. The shifting winds have changed where the fire is going - it is now heading towards the town of Woodland Park - that is about 20 miles west of Colorado Springs. Yeah, Terry Barton is my hero - not!! |
Grooch | Monday, June 17, 2002 - 05:48 pm     Gail, I don't know Colorado at all, but if the fires are anywhere near you, please start thinking about your animals. If they call for an evacuation and you are not at home, there is no way they will let you back in the area to get them. Start making plans to take them where ever you go, or make plans that if you can't take them to work with you, that a neighbor will take them, when it is time to leave. Have their crates ready and supplies to take with you. When fires threatened, where my mother lives, a few years ago, a lot of people were caught by surprise and couldn't go back to get their pets. They had to wait 4 days before they were allowed back in. Hopefully, nothing will happen where you are. |
Gail | Monday, June 17, 2002 - 06:16 pm     Groochie - I am about 35 - 40 miles away I think. But, I think one of the guys I work with has been evacuated from his home. My neighbors and I have already talked about this - they have friends in town that can handle us and our dogs. My neighbor already knows if we had to evacuate and I was not home that she would have to grab my dogs. If we have a hint of a fire, I would probably haul some of my important stuff to their basement - they have a lot of cinder blocks and concrete at ground level below and above around their house that I dont - around my house is a wood skirt and I figure if fire really got close to here, I would kick out the wood skirt and that would mean 3 feet between my house and the ground and nothing anywhere near except sand and dirt. I don't have any trees (except 5 little ones in containers that don't count) and I don't have any grass within 10 feet of my house. I also have four 6-gallon containers of water that I could use too. One of these days, I will get to walmart and get 10 more of those I think. The biggest danger I have is a 500 gallon propane tank in my back yard. |
Gail | Tuesday, June 18, 2002 - 08:24 pm     Just a quick update - An additional 10,000 acres burned today bring the total of the Hayman fire to 113,000 acres. The high winds, low humidity and high temps were brutal today. For anyone familiar with the Colorado Springs area, the fire is about 5 miles from the town of Woodland Park and is now in northern El Paso county. Woodland Park is about 10 15 miles east of Colorado Springs on Hwy 24. The campgrounds at the Air Force Academy have been evacuated also. There are over 2300 firefighters fighting this fire and progress is so slow because of the weather. Some of the storage garages in town are giving evacuee's free use of storage units to store their belongings. |
Hereiam | Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 01:02 pm     Gail how are you doing??? We had rain here the past few days so hopefully it is blowing your way. |
Gail | Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 04:33 pm     No rain yet - just a lot of wind. They are hoping we get some tonight but so far, I don't see the T-storm clouds forming up yet. Tomorrow is supposed to be our best chance this week. I just got home and am catching the news - 136,000 acres now, 40% contained (I think it was 45% contained a few days ago and they took a giant step backwards yesterday when 17,000 acres burned). The cost so far for putting out this fire is $15,000,000 A lot of people are having problems because of the smoke in the air - coughing, eyes burning, headaches etc. The soldiers at Fort Carson are helping out now. The Air Force started helping out last Thursday with their C-130s and added a few more today. Terry Barton was charged on four counts today - she deliberately started the fire - not accidently as they first reported. |
Lancecrossfire | Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 04:37 pm     Has it been figured out yet why she started it? Was hearing two different stories--to burn a letter and to be a "hero". |
Max | Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 04:53 pm     Everything I'm seeing on the news sites now says that she deliberately started it so she could be a "hero" and put it out. A pyromaniac version of Munchausen by Proxy syndrome, perhaps? Sick! |
Gail | Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 05:36 pm     She started it so she could put it out and be a hero. When she first confessed, she said she was burning a letter from her estranged husband and it got out of control. If she is found guilty, instead of 10 years maximum, it is now 20 years. I am not one of those with a house in danger but I do have friends who are in that position. I try to figure out what motivates people and try to find ways to understand them. I just can't find it in me to feel sorry for her. I realize that she worked for the forestry service for over 20 years and was well loved in her community and did a lot of good things. I just can't understand how she could deliberately do what she did when her job was to protect the forest and the people and animals in it. People have lost their homes and there are a lot of people living in shelters. My problem with her is that she knew better! We are in the worst drought this state has seen in over 100 years (probably longer). 136,000 acres - and it is nowhere close to being out. The problem is now - if it goes south or east more homes will be lost. I heard that they are charging at least one of the kids who started the fire in Bailey, Colorado with arson. This was the one about a month or two ago started by kids smoking behind the school. It burned 2600 acres. |
Webkitty | Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 05:53 pm     What Max said. Also, this is all we need for the jerks around the world that hate us to see one of our own doing something like this. We don't need to give them any fresh ideas on how to hurt us. Anyone who would do somthing like this must be mentally ill, I hope she doesn't get off because of it! I don't feel sorry for her. I hope she gets the 20. All those people who lost their homes, plus the poor creatures that lived in the woods, and the beautiful trees! |
Gail | Thursday, June 20, 2002 - 04:53 am     During the night some of us got some really good rain. It was pouring for at close to an hour where I live. According to the news, the higher humidity and lower temps were helpful in that the fire did not grow during the night. All the areas on standby for evacuation are still on standby. Besides wetting the ground, the rain was really good for helping to clear the air a bit. I think a lot of us here feel like we went out to a bar and smoked two packs of cigarettes. The current humidity is around 75% right now - something we haven't seen in a long time. Much better then the 10 - 15% we've had lately. This afternoon is supposed to be our best chance for thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are mixed blessings - the rain and humidity help but the lightning strikes and wind sometimes make things worse. Today, the highs is supposed to be 80 - hopefully it will help the firefighters get a handle on this. |
Kaili | Friday, June 21, 2002 - 12:37 pm     So how's it going out there now? The latest fire in Arizona- the Rodeo Fire- is spreading rapidly- already is over 100,000 acres with 1000s evacuated. Some of you may remember when "Indian Fire" was burning in Arizona and my gramma was evacuated- that fire was very small in comparison to all of these others. I just can't believe all of these fires this year. I'm flying to Arizona tomorrow so it will be interesting to see the fires/smoke from above. Very sad for all the people who have lost homes, pets, etc. |
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