Flag-burning can spark strong emotions — and apparently it can spark wildfires, too.
A man was burning an American flag blanket Sunday afternoon when he inadvertently ignited a wildfire near the Ephrata, Washington, airport, according to fire officials in the central Washington town.
The man had walked into an empty field with the blanket to start it on fire. But then the field he was in caught fire as well, Grant County fire officials said. By the time Ephrata and Grant County firefighters had worked together to contain the blaze around 6 p.m., it had spread to five acres. No structures were damaged in the fire, officials said.
Police have identified a suspect, but he has not been booked, according to Captain Erik Koch of the Ephrata Police Department.