Reply #7: I've lived in California more than 50 years. . . [View All]

[Journeyman]

seen countless fires, fought a few when I was younger, and other than the possible psycho-sexual stimulation someone might find in watching a large blaze, I've never been able to understand what reason anyone might have to set a wildfire.

Wanton destruction of private possessions? The excitement endemic to the chaos of public reaction? The thrill of knowing you caused a major public incident and left a mark -- more a scar than a monument, but a mark nevertheless? None of it equals the aftermath. And in this case, that result left five good men dead (a result inherently possible whenever a fire is set, especially during the Santanas).