Dixie Fire - suspected arson involvement

[sonrisa]

A criminology lecturer may be starting fires to expand the Dixie Fire in California (the largest current fire in the US). No wonder it kept jumping fire breaks. 

“He entered the evacuation zone and began setting fires behind the first responders fighting the Dixie Fire,”

www.sacbee.com/news/local/article253403045.html

[mrsukyankee]

Holy crap.

[SwimDeep]

W.T.F.

[cinnamoncox0]

😳😳 what in the world? I better read the article to see why oh why.

[pixy0stix]

I know I just did it, but can we get more descriptive thread titles? I had no idea what I was walking into here.

[seeyalater52]

what the actual fuck?

[cinnamoncox0]

Ok I read the article. That’s a lot. And very sad on all aspects. The EBT card surprised me.
With all of the serious signs and peoples reports of his behavior and mental status it’s too bad instead of tracking him through EBT spending and stuff they couldn’t have gotten him before he set more, like for a lesser crime and got him help.

He sounds completely out of his mind. Clinically.

[pixy0stix]

That article could do with a good editor. I'm glad they caught him.

[sonrisa]

Aug 11, 2021 9:34:13 GMT -5 jennyparnassus said:

I wonder if he was unable to obtain treatment for his mental illness because he didn't have adequate health insurance because he wasn't full time at any particular university. 

He lives in San Jose and had EBT? He presumably would qualify for care through here: bhsd.sccgov.org/home

[spindle92]

Just because some CAN obtain treatment for mental illness does not mean they will.

[mouse]

Damn. I remember one of the bad fires when I was a kid was set by a firefighter’s mother who was worried he was going to be laid off. If I remember correctly, he wasn’t even a wildland firefighter, and she was also mentally ill. It was just awful and enraging and sad.

People up here (Portland area) got paranoid about this last year. It does happen, but drought conditions also mean fires spring up out of seemingly no where.

I’m so sorry for everyone affected.

[sonrisa]

Aug 11, 2021 15:52:21 GMT -5 mouse said:

Damn. I remember one of the bad fires when I was a kid was set by a firefighter’s mother who was worried he was going to be laid off. If I remember correctly, he wasn’t even a wildland firefighter, and she was also mentally ill. It was just awful and enraging and sad.

People up here (Portland area) got paranoid about this last year. It does happen, but drought conditions also mean fires spring up out of seemingly no where.

I’m so sorry for everyone affected.

It didn't start from him and it didn't start from nowhere. It started from PG&E lack of maintenance and failure to underground the lines. I'm not giving them a pass.


But I've been watching how it spread and there were many times when a new hot spot sprung up behind lines seemingly out of no where and spread broadly. Those breaches led to the loss of homes and other structures.

[sonrisa]

Aug 11, 2021 15:09:02 GMT -5 spindle92 said:

Just because some CAN obtain treatment for mental illness does not mean they will.

Of course not. I was specifically responding to the assumption that he couldn't get access to care. California counties (or at least those in the Bay Area) provide mental health services for low income people. Which matters. Since mental health can adversely affect one's income for many reasons. Even very high functioning, high income people can have adverse financial effects from mental health issues.

[carmenere]

Aug 11, 2021 8:42:56 GMT -5 cinnamoncox0 said:

Ok I read the article. That’s a lot. And very sad on all aspects. The EBT card surprised me.
With all of the serious signs and peoples reports of his behavior and mental status it’s too bad instead of tracking him through EBT spending and stuff they couldn’t have gotten him before he set more, like for a lesser crime and got him help.

He sounds completely out of his mind. Clinically.

I doubt they had probable cause to detain him before they fully reviewed his EBT and phone records and eventually tracked his car. Mental illness and bizarre behavior are not probable cause. It is very sad that so many people have suffered from the fires because of his alleged actions, but the last thing we need is more policing of mental illness.

[cinnamoncox0]

Aug 12, 2021 11:06:00 GMT -5 carmenere said:

Aug 11, 2021 8:42:56 GMT -5 cinnamoncox0 said:

Ok I read the article. That’s a lot. And very sad on all aspects. The EBT card surprised me.
With all of the serious signs and peoples reports of his behavior and mental status it’s too bad instead of tracking him through EBT spending and stuff they couldn’t have gotten him before he set more, like for a lesser crime and got him help.

He sounds completely out of his mind. Clinically.

I doubt they had probable cause to detain him before they fully reviewed his EBT and phone records and eventually tracked his car. Mental illness and bizarre behavior are not probable cause. It is very sad that so many people have suffered from the fires because of his alleged actions, but the last thing we need is more policing of mental illness.

Right I was saying too bad his mental health situation couldn’t have been helped before since he had red flags. I’m not interested in the policing of his mental health. Setting fires is a police matter though so that actually would have helped if they policed his crimes vs his mental illness. 🤷🏻‍♀️