San Juan Bautista woman charged with starting Lick Fire in
Henry Coe park
Henry Coe park
By Leslie Griffy
Story at Mercury News
A San Juan Bautista teacher could have to pay some of the $13 million cost of fighting a 47,760-acre fire sparked in early this month near Henry W. Coe State Park, the Santa Clara District Attorney's office said today.
Margaret Pavese, 50, allegedly started the wildfire that charred about one-third of the state's second largest park when she torched trash in an illegal burn barrel on her property east of Morgan Hill.
The blaze quickly touched off a fire in the nearby dry grasses and burned out of control for more than a week, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials.
Pavese met with fire investigators a few days after the blaze started, Cal Fire investigator Eric Wood said. When the Mercury News contacted property owners in the area about the fire, someone at the Pavese home in San Juan Bautista hung up after the reporter identified himself.
Messages left today for Pavese were not immediately returned.
She faces six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. A judge could also require her to pick up a portion of the bill for fighting the fire, Supervising Deputy District Attorney Frank Carrubba said.
While the fire burned many thousands of acres, Assistant District Attorney David Howe said that Pavese wouldn't face felony arson charges because she did not intend to start the wildfire.
She is being charged with one count of misdemeanor failure to exercise reasonable care in the disposal of flammable materials to prevent causing an uncontrolled fire.
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