Police: Man left campfire for beer run before Austin blazes
Associated Press
A 60-year-old homeless man is facing an arson charge after authorities say he started a campfire to cook eggs and left the hot coals unattended to buy beer before a fire broke out and damaged about a dozen homes.
An arrest affidavit released Monday says Michael Bernard Weathers initially told investigators he was cooking eggs in his vehicle but later admitted starting the campfire nearby. Most of parched Texas is under a burn ban.
Weathers was jailed Monday on $50,000 bond. No attorney was listed in online court records.
Austin fire officials say 10 homes were heavily damaged and six others had minor damage. Texas wildfires have burned more than 700,000 acres in the past week.
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I know most of the state is on fire right now and fire safety has to be one of the top priorities for all Texans but we still have to be practical here. What was this homeless guy supposed to do? He needed beer and he needed a fire for his eggs. Should he have put the fire out before he went to get beer? Well, hindsight is 20/20. And he’d have to restart the fire and sit around waiting for it to get hot before he could enjoy his supper. It’s impractical. I know one thing. We better get some rain soon or there are going to be a lot of homeless people missing out on eggs and beer. The breakfast of champions.
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