With wildfires raging across America and Canada, many counties and states have implemented a government-ordered fire ban.
This man’s neighbor flagrantly flouted that, so he took it upon himself to douse it. He’s now asking if he was wrong for doing so.
Serious Health Risk
News of the wildfire situation has reached every other part of the globe. The man explains the context behind his story:
“Just for context, our sky is literally orange and filled with smoke already. There are weather alerts for smoke pollution, etc.”
His Neighbor Lit A Campfire
Despite this, some people were oblivious to the situation.
“Our entire area is on an extremely strict fire ban. I was out watering my garden once the sun went down, and my neighbor was out lighting up a campfire.”
He Called Him Out On His Stupidity
The man called over and asked him what he thought he was doing.
“I yelled over and told him we’re on a fire ban (as if he didn’t know our entire area is covered in smoke from the fires), and he yelled back that it’s contained and we’re ‘not in a forest, so who cares.’”
He Hosed Out The Fire
The guy wasn’t in the mood to argue with Stupid.
“I took my hose, and I soaked his entire fire pit and all of the wood I could see. He started screaming profanities at me and told me he was going to call the cops. I told him to call, as they would tell him that he was in the wrong as we’re on a fire ban.”
Unfortunately, It Didn’t Stop Him
The man explained how the next night, another neighbor caught the man at it again – and this time, it didn’t go so well.
“I just heard from our neighbor on the other side of his house, he started another fire last night and I guess as he was using a poker stick on it, sparks flew up into the neighbor’s tree on the other side, and it started to spread.”
Luckily No One Was Hurt
But it could have ended so much worse.
“They called the cops/FD. They were there within minutes, put out his fire and he was fined. I haven’t seen or heard from him since!!”
He Asked If He Was Wrong To Have Done What He Did
Irrespective of the neighbor’s “resilience”, the man asked an online community if he was wrong for hosing the man’s fire pit.
“There have been many homes destroyed, animals who have lost their lives, and firefighters out there who are trying their best to contain it. Why have an open fire when it is not necessary?”
The Community Wasn’t Very Sympathetic
…of the idiot who lit the fire, that is. One user said this:
“Not the jerk, but next time call the fire department. It’s their job to take care of things like this and you can even do so anonymously to protect yourself from retaliation. Source: am fire department.”
He Needs To Get The Authorities Involved
Hopefully, his little brush with accidental arson, plus a hefty fine, may have taught the idiot neighbor a lesson, but if not, users encouraged the sharer to get onto 911:
“Please do call the fire department if the neighbor decides to push his luck next time. It’s probably better if they’re being handed a hefty fine and maybe jail time because, for some people, that’s the only way they’ll learn.”
A Whole New Level Of Stupid
Users questioned how someone could be that foolish. “I’d much rather be handed a hefty fine over being told I’m the reason people have died or lost their homes. To just go out and start a campfire while under a fire ban… why? I’ll never understand people…”
Another user said, “A person like that is far too selfish to have the forethought of ‘My actions may kill people, and I don’t want that’.”
It Could Have Been So Much Worse
The guy was lucky the second fire didn’t cost lives. One person shared their experience: “A neighbor’s house burned down from flying ashes that originated at her next-door neighbor’s campfire. People aren’t as good as they think at putting out fires.”
“Especially in conditions that the OP [original poster] is describing, it’s super easy for something to reignite because it wasn’t extinguished properly.”
Be Safe Out There, Folks. Your Campfire Can Wait Until The Fall
These conditions are NOT safe to have campfires or barbecues: “If you put it out, they may just relight another time.
If the fire department/police get involved, they could get fined and that is a bigger disincentive to start another fire in the future.”
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