Ex-Wildfire Chief Accused of Setting Fires

[ElsewheresDaughter]

PHOENIX - The former commander of an elite wildfire team that battled the largest blaze in Arizona history and aided in recovery efforts at the World Trade Center is accused of starting two fires last year, federal prosecutors said.

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Van Bateman, 55, was indicted Wednesday for allegedly setting the fires in the Coconino National Forest in 2004. He faces two federal counts of setting timber afire and two counts of arson on public lands. The first charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, while arson is punishable by up to 20 years, prosecutors said Thursday.

Bateman was a Type I incident commander, the head of a wildfire management crew that is called in for the biggest and most severe wildfires. His four-year term in that position expired in 2004 and he became leader of a slightly lower level team until he was indicted and put on paid leave, according to Forest Service officials


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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051111/ap_on_re_us/fire_manager_indicted;_ylt=Agh1O97RRueAKK0Z2ynk1Dus0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MjBwMWtkBHNlYwM3MTg-

[Greeby]

1. A guy who is s'posed to defend against the crime, commits it himself?

Sure he's not on the Bush payroll? :crazy:

[wordpix]

2. there are quite a few arsonists who join wildfire teams and fire depts

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Or they become arsonists

This has happened a few times over the last few years, where it turns out that a firefighter actually started the fire.

It just blows my mind how someone could do that, especially the people who fight them?

[Ian David]

3. Wanna bet he's a Republican? n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. It doesn't have anything to do with politics

the people who do this are just really, really sick.


Edit: That wasn't even close to making sense before. Sorry.

[Ian David]

6. Like I said. Wanna bet he's a Republican? n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. You have a point

I suppose. Just like most of the pedophiles are priests and preachers.

[TX-RAT]

7. Just creating a little job security?

We had a string of fires around here 5 years ago, pastures, buildings, and cotton modules, were being torched on a regular basis. When we caught him, it turned out he was a Volunteer Fire Fighter for the county.

[ecoalex]

9. Extra pay on a slow Saturday

That's what the fire cheif's son said when he was arrested for the Railroad Flat Rd. fire in '89

[anotherdrew]

10. I've said for years republicans were setting the wildfires

here's yet another rethug arsonist. You see the way to prevent forest fires it to cut the forests down. Why? It makes a quick buck.

[Bloodblister Bob]

11. Nothing new. Forest fires have long been started for jobs.

I grew up in Montana, and heard of this going on 45 years ago. People would start forest fires so they'd have work during the summer.

[Lexingtonian]

12. yep

Firefighters setting the things to prove themselves useful is an old story. In the West it's usually wildfires. Burning eyesore abandoned buildings- old factories- is a game everywhere else.

[WhiteTara]

13. that is a frequent occurrence in northern California

firefighters make so much money that when they get broke they go and start another fire.

edited for a typo