Defend Your Home, Go to Jail

From the L.A. Times:

As flames swirled toward their family homestead, the Curtis brothers figured they'd get no help and had no choice: The only way to hold on to their 55-acre compound would be to fight fire with fire.

In the end, the controlled burn they set helped save the homes on their beloved Apple Pie Ridge -- but not without major consequences.

Outraged authorities arrested Ross Curtis, 48, on Friday on suspicion of illegally setting a backfire after disobeying official orders to stop.

These brave private citizens started a controlled burn close to the major blaze, steering it away from their homes and establishing a broader line of defense that helped state and federal fire crews protect the village below. So, the real crime committed was embarrassing authorities by daring to defend property that had been written off as a lost cause. Imprisonment is the typical response in such cases.