He didn't want to simply throw the paper away and litter

Jul 24, 2015 12:34 GMT  ·  By

On Wednesday, a massive wildfire burned down 73 acres of land near Boise, Idaho. Luckily, there were no reports of injuries and local infrastructure was not damaged. 

It took them a few good hours, but firefighters eventually managed to gain control of the flames and put them out. With the wildfire no longer smoldering, local authorities had their chance to search for clues as to what caused it in the first place.

Much to their surprise, they came to the realization that the 73-acre wildfire started when somebody tried to burn used toilet paper only to lose control of the flames.

No joke, this actually happened

Mind you, it wasn't just good old detective work that led to the discovery of the cause of this wildfire in Idaho. According to KomoNews, it was not long after firefighters put out the flames that the culprit turned himself in and explained how it all happened.

The man, whose identity remains a mystery, was cycling in the area when his digestive tract got the better of him and he had to make a restroom stop. Once he was done, he decided to burn the used toilet paper rather than just throw it away and litter.

Unfortunately, the flames began to spread. The man panicked and ran to safety. When he finally came to his senses, he realized that authorities would sooner or later track him down and so chose to turn himself in rather than sit around waiting to be caught.

It was all just a mishap, really

Since the cyclist did not start the fire on purpose, law enforcement officers in Boise agreed not to jail him. Instead, they only presented him with a fine. This is yet to be confirmed, but rumor has it he will also be made to pay the cost of putting the wildlife out.

Officials with the Bureau of Land Management in Boise say that, when exploring the wilderness, it's best if people don't try to set waste on fire but instead bury it.

A photo of the damaged area
A photo of the damaged area

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Man sets toilet paper ablaze, sparks a massive wildfire
A photo of the damaged area
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