B.C. landowner's arson theory rejected as panel orders him to pay $450K for causing wildfire

Clarke Matthiesen claimed neighbours' grandson was the cause of 2019 fire, not his unregistered burn

A landowner responsible for an open burn that ignited a wildfire in British Columbia's Cariboo region is on the hook for about $450,000 after an appeals commission rejected his claim that the real cause was arson by his neighbours' troubled grandson.

Last week, a panel of the Forest Appeals Commission largely dismissed Clarke Matthiesen's appeal of cost recovery orders for the April 2019 blaze, finding his alternative explanation was "both unproven and unlikely."

The evidence strongly supported investigators' conclusion that a holdover fire from an improperly extinguished 224-square-metre open burn was to blame, panel chair James Carwana wrote.

Holdover fires can smoulder underground for months, only re-emerging when conditions are dry enough to start spreading.

"The burning of a large debris pile, as in this case, is inherently risky and can result in significant destruction if wildfires result from the burning. It is the responsibility of those engaged in such burning activity to ensure they have met the legislated requirements," the Nov. 9 decision says.

The wildfire, ignited in a remote area around 150 kilometres west of Quesnel, B.C., burned for two weeks before firefighters were able to extinguish it, according to the decision. Matthiesen has been ordered to pay $179,344 for damage to Crown resources, $260,369 for the cost of fighting the fire, $7,546 for reforestation costs and a $2,350 administrative penalty.

The panel heard that Matthiesen didn't raise his arson theory with any officials or investigators in the four years before his appeal.

Although the neighbours' grandson had threatened to burn Matthiesen's home "to the ground" four months before the wildfire, no evidence was presented showing he was still in the area and investigators discovered no signs of arson, the decision says....

Oddly enough, the reporter of this story (Bethany Lindsay), has written a book called "British Columbia Burning" which essentially blames 'wildfire's' on 'climate change' and 'global warming'... Not sure why this land owner didn't bring her and her extensive knowledge about how a warming planet causes wildfire's to testify on his behalf. He could've saved himself some money... Then again.. Maybe the Forest Appeals Commission would've rejected that sort of nonsense for a defense.

Some reviews from her phony baloney book...

"MUST-READ" "Bethany Lindsay's vivid descriptions of the 2017 B.C. wildfires paint a powerful picture of the risks that come with a warming world... This book is a must-read for Canadians seeking to better understand the impact of a changing climate on our natural world." — Warren Mabee, director, Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy, Queen's University

"BEAUTIFULLY TOLD" "Urgent and beautifully told, this is a story of how British Columbia may be facing a future of increasingly epic wildfires. It is not only good reading, but also contains vital information about how climate change is altering our world and what the province is doing to prepare." — Linda Solomon Wood, founder and editor-in-chief of the National Observer

"INTELLIGENT" "This book is wonderfully illustrated and intelligently organized to highlight the impacts on us humans. It's a must-read on the all-too-real effects of human-induced catastrophic climate change." — Peter Grant

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