How are these people caught?
By soccermom
@soccermom (3198)
United States
May 9, 2007 4:49pm CST
I was watching the news today about the wildfires in California & Florida. It was stated that both fires were believed to have been started by a careless smoker that threw a lit cigarette out. In Cali they were questioning the person they believed was responsible. How do they catch these people? Don't the cigarette butts burn up in the fire?
5 people like this
8 responses
@judyt00 (3497)
• Canada
9 May 07
generally, the filter does NOT burn up in the fire, since the area around it burns at a low temperature before it gets big and hot like the wild fires. They simply look for DNA from the filters. They can tell where the fire started because fire usually spreads in a fan shape from the startingpoing, unless the wind shifts or gets too strong and pushes it in one direction.
3 people like this
@soccermom (3198)
• United States
10 May 07
Thanks for the response judy. I guess it makes sense, I never thought about hte fire having to start small, when you see them on TV they're always going full force.
2 people like this
@SageMother (2277)
• United States
9 May 07
Usually the person confesses to having done something to start the fire. Otherwise law enforcement has no clue.
But....they manage to get many confessions by simply lying about what they know. Police play all sorts of mind games to get confessions if not flat our lying on the paperwork. I am not saying that is true in this instance, but it is true in many situations.
3 people like this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
9 May 07
I am sure the butts do burn up. I think to find the arsonist could only be if they can find witnesses to seeing any suspicious behavior.
2 people like this
@SpitFire179 (2536)
• Canada
9 May 07
hahaha i've wondered the same thing, i thought, you know, for sure the DNA evidence on the filter would have burned off it nothing else by the time they did the checking, but who knows, maybe it's just personal items that they found.
Maybe we should ask them, or maybe, just maybe, it's in their imagination haha...
Oh boy, here i go again, losing my marbles, wanna come find them with me?
I thought aliens for a second, ohh boy i have someone to blame that on :P
@soccermom (3198)
• United States
10 May 07
Maybe your marbles are hanging out with mine somewhere! LOL Aliens huh? I always say things must've happened because of the "time people". Ya know the time travelers that must show up when I am asleep and take my car keys, etc...back to their dimension so I can't find them in the morning.
2 people like this
@SpitFire179 (2536)
• Canada
10 May 07
haha i blame that on the spirits, my house is riddled with them, actually i think they go with me, because their everywhere i go.
I've had a lot of people in my home that don't believe in them, that is, until they actually see things moving through thin air by themselves, or the ornaments on my shelves sliding across, having their hair pulled and such. They steal everything!!!
i'm so tired today, ugh, help me, i'm falling hahaha....
Maybe our marbles are having a party, damn them, they left us to fend for ourselves..... :(
2 people like this
@awonderfullife (2893)
• United States
24 Oct 07
It's amazing they can find a lone smoker, but they can't find Bin Laden. Go figure.
@mamasan34 (6518)
• United States
18 May 07
I have absolutely no idea! I have often wondered that myself. How do they catch these people? I mean for crying out loud its a fire and all of the evidence should have been burned up. Witnesses? In the middle of the forest? Wow, who knows. I guess they are a lot smarter than I ever will be!
