This is puzzling... Millions in property damage, 14 dead, 200 injured.

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Prosecutors have dropped charges against two Anderson County teenagers they labeled as responsible for the state’s deadliest wildfire in a century, an attorney confirmed Friday.

Defense attorney Gregory P. Isaacs said in a statement that 4th Judicial District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn has filed an order dismissing aggravated arson charges against the boys, ages 17 and 15. Isaacs, who represents the younger boy, said he would provide details on the reason for the dismissal at a news conference Friday afternoon.

The boys were hiking on the Chimney Tops trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Nov. 23 and tossing lit matches onto the ground around the trail. Brush caught fire. The boys continued hiking down the trail. A fellow hiker with a Go-Pro happened to catch footage of them with smoke in the background. He didn’t know it was important.

...USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee learned the boys were friends who attended Anderson County High School together. The older boy is the son of an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department employee.

Entire article here.

I predicted as such at the time given the connected nature of the teens and who their attorney was. It's all in who you know.

WOW, must have been an FBI investigation run by 'Top Men'....Although the teens were 'Extremely Careless' in their handling of lit matches in dry brush areas on the Chimney Tops trail in the Great Smokey Mountains, they found that they did not 'Intend' to cause the state's deadliest wildfire in a century, resulting in 14 deaths, 200 injuries and millions in property damage!

That should be a life sentence. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Slam the door. See you when you die.

What I'm hearing on the local news is that they can't connect the fire in downtown Gatlinburg with the fire the teens started in the park because there were other electrical fires and high winds - thus no direct connection between the fires that caused the damage and the teens.

One of the kids Dad's works for the sheriff's department and the other kids Dad is a lawyer. They got the best defense attorney in the state (Isaacs). I knew when they retained him that if they were charged they would walk. Isaacs has gotten murderers off several times - he's a wizard in the courtroom.

In reading the article, the brush fire these two started happened 5 days before what happened in Gatlinburg. The article states "Park officials decided to let the fire burn. Five days later, winds of nearly 90 mph inexplicably whipped up, spreading deadly flames into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. "

Park officials knew about the fire and decided to let it continue to burn for 5 days. If I were on a jury, I'd have a hard time assigning blame to the kids.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
In reading the article, the brush fire these two started happened 5 days before what happened in Gatlinburg. The article states "Park officials decided to let the fire burn. Five days later, winds of nearly 90 mph inexplicably whipped up, spreading deadly flames into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. "

Park officials knew about the fire and decided to let it continue to burn for 5 days. If I were on a jury, I'd have a hard time assigning blame to the kids.

The other main problem is that the high winds caused several power poles to go down which started several other ignition points closer to town.

The feds can still file charges for starting a fire in the national park.

quote:

The feds can still file charges for starting a fire in the national park.

I hope they do. This was not an ember from a campfire that got away. These two intentional did this.

"The boys were hiking on the Chimney Tops trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Nov. 23 and tossing lit matches onto the ground around the trail. Brush caught fire. The boys continued hiking down the trail."

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

Park officials knew about the fire and decided to let it continue to burn for 5 days. If I were on a jury, I'd have a hard time assigning blame to the kids.

Yeah, even IF it was intentional arson, the Park Service made the conscious decision to allow it to burn. From that point onward, it was their fire.

Having a good lawyer didn't hurt their cause, either.

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
I predicted as such at the time given the connected nature of the teens and who their attorney was. It's all in who you know.

They were/are "special needs" youths.

quote:

Originally posted by Floyd D. Barber:

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
I predicted as such at the time given the connected nature of the teens and who their attorney was. It's all in who you know.

They were/are "special needs" youths.

They have a special need to have the stuffing thrashed out of them. Tben spend 30 years in prison so they can reflect on what jackasses they are.

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Park officials knew about the fire and decided to let it continue to burn for 5 days. If I were on a jury, I'd have a hard time assigning blame to the kids.

Yeah, even IF it was intentional arson, the Park Service made the conscious decision to allow it to burn. From that point onward, it was their fire.

Yup.

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:
Yeah, even IF it was intentional arson, the Park Service made the conscious decision to allow it to burn. From that point onward, it was their fire.

Haven't followed the court case and only respond to what has been posted in this thread ...

... but isn't that assuming the park service was fully aware and confident they could if they had wanted to, put the fire out without putting other lives, firefighters and community in extreme danger?

And if that is true, then shouldn't some park employees be on trial? Isn't finding park officials allowed the fire to burn just as negligent as intentionally setting it in the first place? ... wait, the fire can't be tied to Gatlinburg I guess. So the park officials decision is completely irrelevant and of no consequence. Never mind.

HOWEVER, and without facts of science or circumstance in hand, how possible was it that the existing fire created an atmospheric vortex condition that either created or greatly enhanced the winds, weather and tragedy in Gatlinburg? In other words, the fire may not have knocked down power power poles that created other fires, but would that have happened or even been possible without the greater nearby fire in progress? ... Obviously the court must have found there is doubt. So never mind again I guess.

Looks like just another "matter" with no criminal intent or consequence on the part of the innocent boys.

... and what if no one had been killed or injured and there was no property damage ... would it have been easier to prosecute arson charges or something?

Comments on the "Let it burn policy." After a century of putting out every fire, the forests have suffered. Many plants need fire to clear areas for then and even to reproduce. The century of fire suppression has also created a huge fuel load in the forests. After a fire worked a project where we found huge spalls of rock that the fire broke off the bedrock. The team leader explained this fire was "A thousand year fire in its distruction." I worked one forest where selective cutting and clearing was done. I looked like a "Disney forest." Fires here would stay on the grounds and burn out.
Given, the 1988 Yellowstone Fire was an example of what could go wrong. As with Gatlinburg, a number of factors were not considered or went beyond conditions.
Myself, it's arson on federal land. Give them to the Feds.

http://www.npr.org/templates/s...php?storyId=94126845

quote:

Originally posted by Icabod:
Myself, it's arson on federal land. Give them to the Feds.

http://www.npr.org/templates/s...php?storyId=94126845

I can see further civil litigation by private parties maybe, but can feds even try them on arson charges given this courts ruling? Wouldn't that be trying them twice for the same charge? Why didn't the feds go after them in the first place?

I can see where all of the blame for the loss of life and the damage may not belong to the teens, but the fact remains that they did start a fire. It wasn't an accident with a campfire--they were purposefully tossing lit matches on the ground. IMO they should be facing some sort of charges and punishment.