Croatian student sparks £30m forest fire after setting thorny bush alight in revenge attack

Croatian student sparks £30m forest fire after setting thorny bush alight in revenge attack

02 March 2010

published by www.telegraph.co.uk

Croatia —  Jure Erceg, a religious studies student, was jailed for 15 months after a court in Croatia heard that he started the blaze on Velebit mountain in 2007 to seek revenge on the bush.

“It was an accident. I only wanted to get rid of that bush but it spread so quickly I couldn’t put it out. It pricked me every morning and every night,” Erceg told the court.
Experts said he devastated nearly 500 acres of protected land in Paklenica national park, killing countless wild animals and birds.