Editing Hayman Fire

{{Short description|2002 wildfire in Colorado}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox wildfire
|title= Hayman Fire
|image= Colorado Rockies from space-Hayman cropped.jpg
|caption= The Hayman Fire (brown area in center of image), between the [[Kenosha Mountains]] (upper left) and [[Pikes Peak]] (lower right)
|location= [[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas]], [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson]], [[Park County, Colorado|Park]], and [[Teller County, Colorado|Teller]] counties, [[Colorado]]
|date= June 8 - July 18, 2002
|acres= {{convert|138114|acre|km2}}<ref name=rmrs>{{Cite book | editor=Graham, Russell T. | title= Hayman Fire Case Study | url= http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr114.html | series= General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-114 | year= 2003  | publisher= U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station | location= Ogden, UT }}</ref>
|cause = [[arson]]
|landuse= [[forest]], [[rural]]
|fatalities= 6
|injuries= 
|perps= Terry Barton
|motive=Accidental 
}}

The '''Hayman Fire''' was a [[Forest fire]] started on June 8, 2002, {{convert|35|mi|km}} northwest of [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]], [[Colorado]], and {{convert|22|mi|km|abbr=}} southwest of [[Denver]], [[Colorado]], and was, for 18 years, the largest wildfire in the state's recorded history at over 138,114 [[acres]].

Hundreds of firefighters fought the fast-moving fire, which caused nearly $40 million in firefighting costs, burned 133 homes, 138,114 acres, and forced the evacuation of 5,340 people.

Smoke could be seen and smelled across the state from [[Vail, Colorado|Vail]], {{convert|55|mi|km|abbr=}} northwest, to [[Burlington, Colorado|Burlington]], {{convert|188|mi|km}} east, and from [[Broomfield, Colorado|Broomfield]], {{convert|50|mi|km}} north, to [[Walsenburg, Colorado|Walsenburg]], {{convert|130|mi|km}} south.

The Hayman Fire burned from June 8, until it was classified as contained on June 28, 2002.<ref name="usfs">{{cite news
  | title = Hayman Fire Incident Information
  | publisher = fs.fed.us
  |date= 2003-09-20
  | url = https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr114.pdf
  | access-date = 2024-04-25 }}
</ref>   The cause of the wildfire was found to be [[Arson]].<ref>{{cite web
  | title = Legal Troubles Not Over For Terry Barton
  | publisher = TheDenverChannel.com
  | date= 2002-12-11
  | url = http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/1832829/detail.html
  | access-date = 2006-11-03 }}
</ref>

When then-Governor [[Bill Owens (Colorado politician)|Bill Owens]] responded to a reporter's question following an aerial tour of the fires ("What does it look like up there?"), Owens said "It looks as if all of Colorado is burning today."<ref name="Burning">{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E5D6103CF935A25755C0A9649C8B63|
newspaper=New York Times | date=2002-06-16 | access-date=2008-01-11 |title=Fears May Be Outpacing Reality in Colorado Fires}}</ref> Many western slope residents blamed Owens for driving away tourists with the press' truncated version of the quote ("All of Colorado is burning.")<ref name="Burning2">{{cite web|url=http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20030806/RECREATION08/308060003|publisher=Summit Daily News|date=2003-08-06|access-date=2008-01-11|title=The backcountry business|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928053745/http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20030806/RECREATION08/308060003|archive-date=2011-09-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Hayman Fire was named for a mining [[ghost town|Ghost Town]] near Tappan Gulch.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/fire-34660-charges-barton.html#ixzz1z2qtqteF |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123234108/http://www.gazette.com/articles/fire-34660-charges-barton.html%23ixzz1z2qtqteF |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |last=Huspeni |first=Dennis |title=Hayman fire-starter resentenced |publisher=Gazette.com |date=2008-03-28 |access-date=2012-06-27 }}</ref>

== Impact of the fire ==
The fire resulted directly in the death of one civilian, and five firefighters were killed en route to the fire. Costs included $39.1 million in suppression costs and total private property losses valued at $40.4 million,<ref>[http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/value/docs/hayman_fire_social%20and%20economic%20issues.pdf "Social and Economic Issues of the Hayman Fire"], USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-114. 2003, 2003. Accessed July 1, 2012</ref> and indirectly led to the death of five firefighters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wffoundation.wordpress.com/fallen-2002-2004/|title=Wildland Firefighter Memorial|year=2002|publisher=Wildland Firefighter Foundation}}
</ref> Overall, 600 structures were burned in the fire including 133 homes, 1 commercial building and 466 outbuildings. While the fire burned, record amounts of particulate matter were measured in the air.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.planning.org/research/postdisaster/casestudies/haymanfire.htm|title=Case Study: Hayman Fire, Hayman, Colorado|website=American Planning Association|access-date=2018-12-09}}</ref>

As a result of the fire, flooding in the burn area increased. Consequently, many roads and bridges in the area were washed out. This included [[Colorado State Highway 67|State Highway 67]], the main highway that runs through the area. Other indirect destruction included sediment runoff into a reservoir that is used as a water source for [[Denver]]. The removal of this sediment cost $25 million.<ref name=":0" />

Most of the burn area is inside of the [[Pike National Forest]]. The fire caused the closure of a large part of the national forest land as well as nearby [[Eleven Mile State Park]] and [[Spinney State Park]]. Tourism saw a sharp decline in the area and it is estimated that local businesses lost 50% of their seasonal revenues as a result of the fire-induced closures.<ref name=":0" />

== Fatalities ==

Ann Dow, 50, suffered a fatal [[Asthma attack]] on the evening of June 10, 2002, when heavy smoke from the fire drifted over the Dows' home south of Florissant. She quickly lapsed into unconsciousness and paramedics could not revive her. Her death certificate lists the cause as "acute asthma attack due to or as a consequence of smoke inhalation."

Five firefighters died from injuries sustained from a June 21, 2002, traffic accident en route to the Hayman fire from Oregon: Zach Zigich, Retha Shirley, Jacob Martindale, Danial Rama, and Bart Bailey. They are listed in the memorial to fallen firefighters on the [https://wffoundation.org/the-fallen/ Wildland Firefighter Foundation's website].

== Criminal prosecutions ==
A forestry technician with the U.S. Forest Service, Terry Barton, set the fire in a campfire ring during a total burn ban triggered by a [[National Weather Service]] [[red flag warning]]. Barton's claim that she was attempting to burn a letter from her estranged husband was disputed by one of her teenage daughters who testified that a psychology teacher had told Ms. Barton to write her feelings in a letter and burn it.<ref>{{cite news
  | title = Added Term In Forest Fire 
  | newspaper = New York Times
  | date= 2003-06-03
  | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE4D7123FF935A35750C0A9659C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fF%2fForest%20Service
  | access-date = 2007-05-21
| first=Mindy
| last=Sink}}
</ref> The fire quickly spread out of the campfire ring and eventually torched over {{convert|138000|acre|km2}} and burned across four different counties. A federal grand jury indicted Barton on four felony counts of arson.<ref name="cnn">{{cite news
 |title       = Forest worker indicted for starting wildfire
 |publisher   = CNN.com
 |date        = 2002-06-19
 |url         = http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/06/19/colorado.fire.suspect/
 |access-date  = 2006-11-03
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20061222162146/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/06/19/colorado.fire.suspect/
 |archive-date = 2006-12-22
}}
</ref>

Barton pleaded guilty to two charges: setting fire to federal forest land and lying to investigators<ref>[http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/1823532/detail.html "Barton Pleads Guilty In Hayman Fire Case"], TheDenverChannel.com, December 7, 2002. Accessed May 20, 2007</ref> and was given a six-year sentence in federal prison. U.S. District Judge [[Richard Paul Matsch|Richard Matsch]] refused, however, to impose the $14 million restitution asked for by prosecutors, saying he would not sentence her to a "life of poverty." Additionally, the State of Colorado sentenced Barton to 12 years in prison to run concurrently with the 6-year federal sentence. The state sentence was overturned on appeal, however, on grounds that the presiding judge had "the appearance of prejudice" because smoke from the fire had motivated him to voluntarily leave his home for one night.<ref>{{ cite web 
  | title = Prison Sentence Tossed Out For Hayman Firestarter
  | publisher = TheDenverChannel.com
  | date = 2004-12-16
  | url = http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4002521/detail.html
  | access-date = 2004-12-16 }}
</ref> In March 2008, Barton was re-sentenced by a different judge to 15 years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service.<ref>{{ cite web 
  | title = Hayman fire starter won't serve state jail time
  | publisher = The Denver Post
  | date = 2008-03-27
  | url = http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_8716909
  | access-date = 2008-03-27 }}
</ref>

Several insurance companies filed a $7 million suit against the government in the fall of 2008, claiming that Barton was negligent in her duties.  In November, Judge [[Wiley Daniel]] ruled that the government was not responsible for Barton's actions because she was acting as an angry spouse and not as a government worker.<ref>{{cite web
  | title = Feds not liable in Hayman fire
  | last = Carmona
  | first = Felicia
  | publisher = The Denver Post
  | date = 2008-11-26
  | url = http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_11074427}}
</ref>

In August 2018, Barton's sentence was extended another 15 years in the form of unsupervised probation (the unsupervised probation was ordered to save legal fees that would then be redirected towards restitution). Judge William Brian ordered that Barton continue to make payments toward the $14.5 million in restitution she owed as of the 2018 re-sentencing. The judge also ordered that Barton get a full-time job.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://koaa.com/news/2018/08/15/sentence-extended-for-woman-who-started-hayman-fire/|title=Sentence extended for woman who started Hayman Fire|date=2018-08-16|website=KOAA.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-09}}</ref>

==Images of fire damage==
<gallery>
image:Hayman Fire (1).jpg|Fire damage as seen looking towards Turkey Rock
image:Hayman Fire (2).jpg|Complete burn as seen from roadway
image:Hayman Fire (6).jpg|The damage to areas in the burn area varied greatly, as shown in this photo. The farthest hill burned completely, the middle hill was substantially burned, and the close hill relatively unburned.
image:Hayman Fire (4).jpg|In many areas the fire burned so hot that it reduced ground cover to bare soil

</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Rodeo-Chedski Fire]] of 2002, a concurrent large wildfire in [[Arizona]]
* [[Healthy Forests Initiative]], a federal law passed after the severe wildfires of 2002
*[[Pine Gulch Fire]], a wildfire in 2020 that became the largest in state history

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.colorado.edu/geography/courses/geog_4371_f05/readings/hayman%20fire%20report.pdf The Hayman Fire Report]
*[https://archive.today/20130416034540/http://www.wffoundation.org/Page.asp?NavID=22 Wildland Firefighter Foundation list of fallen firefighters]
*[http://www.parkbull.com/haymanfire/ Maps of the Hayman Fire] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915185735/http://www.parkbull.com/haymanfire/ |date=2009-09-15 }}, Park County Bulletin
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101126181706/http://nationalforests.org/conserve/programs/conservation/pike The National Forest Foundation's Conservation and Restoration Plan for the Hayman Burn Area]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayman Fire}}
[[Category:June 2002 crimes in the United States]]
[[Category:Mass murder in 2002]]
[[Category:Wildfires in Colorado]]
[[Category:2002 in Colorado]]
[[Category:2002 wildfires in the United States]]
[[Category:Arson in Colorado]]
[[Category:Wildfires caused by arson]]
[[Category:Arson in 2002]]
[[Category:Mass murder in Colorado]]
[[Category:Mass murder in the United States in the 2000s]]
[[Category:2002 murders in the United States]]