Idaho wildfire pinned on cyclist who stopped to poop and burned the evidence


Only you can prevent wildfires — by not turning the great outdoors into your own giant bathroom, then trying to cover it up by burning the toilet paper evidence.
An unnamed bicyclist in Boise, Idaho, did just that on Wednesday, and firefighters say an ember flew into dry grass, sparking a fire than burned 73 acres in the foothills. The cyclist told authorities that he thought it was the right thing to do because it wouldn't be littering, the Boise Fire Dispatch Center said (for those who are curious, they also said human waste needs to be buried or removed from fire-prone areas). "I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go," Carrie Bilbao, spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Land Management, told KTVB of Boise. But, "in these fuel types, it's not a good idea."
Authorities say the cyclist will be fined, and might have to pay the entire cost of fighting the fire. Somewhere, Smokey Bear is weeping.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read