Man Who Started Picnic Rock Fire Says He's Been Harassed
Sanchez Admits To Thoughts Of Suicide
POSTED: 7:36 am MDT April 6, 2004 UPDATED: 5:29 pm MDT April 6, 2004
The man who accidentally started the Picnic Rock Fire last week faces possible charges and says since the fire started, he's been constantly harassed and has had depressing thoughts.
"You can get down so low then you decide you want to end it but then you don't want to end it. You think about it, you want to end the suffering," said Tony Sanchez.
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Firestarter Says He's Being Harassed
Sanchez (pictured, left) said he was burning trash last Tuesday afternoon when the fire got out of control.
His wife, Shelly Sanchez, said when they were burning grass and wood chips in small piles, there was no wind and they had a garden hose nearby just in case.
"The wind just suddenly came up," she said, "and the fire took off like gas."
Shelly Sanchez said she called 911 while her husband chased the fire, but it ran ahead of him up the draw and over the mountain.
Tony Sanchez said he didn't eat or sleep for five days after the fire started.
"I know people are mad at me. I see it every night. I wish they would come talk to me instead of yelling and cussing at me," said Sanchez.
The fire has burned 8,900 acres and has cost an estimated $1.9 million to fight. It burned one home and one garage and forced the evacuation of some 150 homes before cool, wet weather dampened it. Crews hope to have the blaze contained by Wednesday. Firefighters have 6 more miles of line to dig on the northwest and northeast side before the fire is contained.
Sanchez and his wife said that people blare their horns as they pass their rented log home or park on the south side of the highway and shoot their high beams onto the house.
They said they pray and wait for morning light, sometimes keeping their house dark, hoping the taunts will stop.
Sanchez has lived in the house since October. He said when the fire ordeal is over, he plans to move.
The couple said their solace has been friends from their church, the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Laporte, and some empathetic words from other neighbors.
"Why get a lawyer to fight it when you know you are responsible? How can we pay for a lawyer? How can we pay for this?" she said. "We'll just have to throw ourselves on the mercy of the court."
The last group of evacuees were allowed back home Monday evening. Twenty families residing in the Bonner Peak Ranch homes to returned at 8 p.m. but they're remain anxious.
"If it doesn't look rainy, I'm not unpacking, just in case the wind blows and it starts up again," said Lydia Thompson, whose family was first in line to return home.
The fire is 65 percent contained.