Antipot Helicopter Caused Forest Fires

High Times ^

[JediGirl]

“This has got to be the very worst marijuana-related damage done in this state in my entire lifetime.” -- Dale Gieringer, California NORML

A forest fire that burned out of control for almost two weeks and devastated over 50,000 acres near San Diego was caused by a helicopter looking for pot farms, a California Department of Forestry investigation has concluded.

“A California National Guard helicopter was in the area looking for drugs, and clipped a power line, which caused a spark which started the fire,” said Martie Perkins, fire information officer for the department. The helicopter was working with a DEA antidrug task force, out looking for marijuana grow operations.

Called the Pines fire, the blaze started on July 29 outside the town of Julian, about 40 miles northeast of San Diego. By the time it was brought under control, it had burned through 56,500 acres of land, turning 37 homes, 116 barns and other outbuildings, and 161 vehicles into cinders, for an estimated $10 million in damage. Between 500 and 1,000 people were evacuated, and 24 firefighters injured.

Fighting the fire took almost 2,700 firefighters, 17 helicopters and 10 air tankers, with the final cost estimated at $21 million.

Perkins noted that the San Diego County Animal Control has been very helpful with rescuing and sheltering pets, but that the outlook for the wild animals in the area is not good. “They run, they do whatever instinct tells them. Sometimes they burrow in to an area where they shouldn’t burrow into and they die in the fire. It also takes out their habitat, so that for the ones who do survive, their habitat is wrecked.”

The National Guard helped put out the fire its antimarijuana pilots apparently started, but has not finished its internal investigation of the incident. The helicopter missions were immediately grounded in a “safety stand down” after the accident and were not back in the air as of Aug. 8. “All we know is that we did have a helicopter that was on a mission in that vicinity at the same time in which they believe the fire started,” says Major Kim Oliver of the National Guard.

“As far as I know, they were out there looking for marijuana,” Don Thornhill of the DEA Task Force tells HT.

“I guess it just goes to show how dangerous marijuana is,” says Dale Gieringer of California NORML. “This has got to be the very worst marijuana-related damage done in this state in my entire lifetime.”

“There’s no doubt that most of the outdoor marijuana-eradication efforts are not only a waste of money to begin with,” says Allen St. Pierre, head of the NORML Foundation, “but the immense property and environment damage that has been caused by this marijuana-eradication program in that forest is so many times greater of the value of any illegal marijuana found there. This is another gross excess in the War on Some Drugs.”

[JediGirl]

bump

[JediGirl]

bump

[realpatriot71]

Meanwhile . . . hundreds of illegals are sneaking into this country. But I sleep much better tonight knowing that there are choppers looking for people growing weeds.

[LenS]

At least the illegals work hard and produce something of value. Which is more than I can say for the Americans busy smoking the weed.

[hove]

Hey wait now. Those DEA guys need jobs too! They have families. I'm totally for giving them my hard earned money to fight this horrible scourge on our nation. So what if they burn up 50,000 acres of California. At least they stop people from getting pot! I say more tax dollars to start forest fires if it gets all the pot off the streets! So....are they getting all the pot off the streets? Oh...and why exactly is pot such a scourge? Never mind....get all that pot.....burn forests if you have to. GO DEA!!!

[ChuckHam]

This is old news and was posted weeks ago.

[WarSlut]

At least the illegals work hard and produce something of value.

The only thing illegals procude here in CA are entitlements for Grey to sign into legislation.

Oh yeah, they produce lots of votes for the Democratic party, too.

[WarSlut]

And while the CAMP black helicopters are blanketing the California coast making sure nobody's growing pot, the Mexican Mafia is sending tons of dirt weed across the border every day.

Yeah, that's a real effective strategy.

[Dakmar]

I guess you'll have to take up the issue of whether or not the millions of lines of computer code I've written are of any value with my employer. They seem to think they are, and give me a big fat check every two weeks.

[realpatriot71]

At least the illegals work hard and produce something of value. Which is more than I can say for the Americans busy smoking the weed.

I have no problem with people who want to come here LEGALLY and work towards the American Dream. Wether illegals work hard or not is not the issue nor is it an excuse for being in this country illegally.

Also, your assertion that people who smoke MJ are not productive is a non-sequitur. There are plenty of people who use MJ and function normally in society.

[realpatriot71]

This is old news and was posted weeks ago.

Don't read it then smart guy . . .

[sawsalimb]

It's our duty to be proud when out homes,outbuildings,and livestock are burned to the ground,as long as the demon weed was consumed in the same cleansing fire. I feel safer already.(And I'll close my sarcasm tags here...)

[sawsalimb]

make that "our homes...",etc. I'm going to have to take a proofreading class,I guess.

[BossyRoofer]

They must have had some intel. into the location. We have sattelites, dont they know the militarys phone number? If our country is really trying to fight terrorism they should be more careful in planing stages and not be afraid of utilizeing all available resources before a mission!

[Sungirl]

Jeez....thanks for posting. I wonder why Rush didn't bring this up on his show....or why Drudge didn't post it?? HHmmm...Oh.... I know.

[philman_36]

Just another "unintended consequence".
It was an accident! (that wouldn't have happened "if"...)

[vin-one]

I feel special today, two bumps from the same thread, from JG.... thanks,
by the way BTTT

[WindMinstrel]

Don't read it then smart guy . . .

Don't you love the wise ones who point out that a thread was posted before, and in doing so bump that thread back to the top?

[realpatriot71]

Yes, I'm not sure what we would do without these "'genius' hall-monitor" types. You know, I didn't know porn was destroying our country until one of them told me . . .