The Cedar Fire
In 2003, a lost hunter in the forest in San Diego County, California set a signal fire in the hopes that someone would find him. Unfortunately, the Santa Ana wind caused the fire to spread at a rate of 3,600 acres per hour. As the fire continued, it wiped out more than 110,500 hectares and destroyed 2,820 buildings.
It also led to the deaths of 15 people. When the hunter was found, he was sentenced to 960 hours of community service and was fined $9,000 as well. That’s a pretty light sentence considering the damage the fire cost was estimated at $1.2 billion.