Be Prepared!

Thanks to Walter Satterthwait for the link.

Government: Boy Scouts set Utah wildfire - Yahoo! News: "SALT LAKE CITY - The federal government argued that Boy Scouts playing with fire caused a 14,200-acre wildfire and wants a judge to hold them responsible, allowing officials to seek damages.

In court documents, the government said it would decide whether to seek damages after a ruling is made. It says the June 2002 wildfire in northeastern Utah cost more than $12 million to control.

A Forest Service investigator pinpointed the fire's origin to an area where Scouts had stayed overnight, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Overby said in federal court Thursday.

At the time of the blaze, a fire ban was in effect because of dry conditions. In court documents, the Scouts maintain they were not aware of a formal fire ban and thought small pit fires were allowed.

In depositions, Scouts testified they were playing with fire, even offering a teenage counselor candy in return for setting one, Overby said."