A similar thing happened about 10 years ago near Woodland Park Colorado.
A US Forest Service worker, angered by a lost love IIRC, started a forest fire that burned hundreds of thousands of acres.
Naturally, while it was burning a number of homes were threatened.
One group of neighbors banded together, armed themselves with rifles and shotguns to fight off the Sheriff, US Forest Service, and the local Fire Department.
After a tense showdown, the enemies of the neighborhood retreated, and left them alone to fight the fire.
They saved all of their houses.
I have often wondered why that has never happened more often in the past, but earnestly hope it happens more often in the future.
Environmentalists... Brownshirts who exploit the concept of "service to others," to control, to bully and to intimidate. No one, but no one, with any delusion of power over others, has the right to prevent any free persons to do everything including risking his life to protect his family, his neighborhood and his community. But then there are these, who seek employment to satisfy their need to control others:
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences.” -- C. S. Lewis
And what better way to enjoy it than to wear a badge, backed up (theoretically) by the total might of the national military?