A fire that damaged more than 73 acres of land in the Hulls Gulch Reserve area of the Boise foothills in Idaho was reportedly started by a cyclist attempting to destroy his used toilet paper by lighting it on fire and burying it.
According to the Bureau of Land Management, the unnamed man was cycling in the foothills on Wednesday when nature called. After doing the deed in a ravine, the man lit his used toilet paper on fire in an attempt to destroy the waste. He then buried it to extinguish the flames, but a burning ember spread to some nearby dry grass, igniting the fire.
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"When people have to go, um, they will often burn their toilet paper just as kind of an environmental concern to not litter," BLM spokesperson Carrie Bilbao told local TV station KTVB.
The fire, which was reported by residents at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time required multiple vehicles, two helicopters, an airplane and two bulldozers to extinguish the flames. It was finally contained at 8 p.m.
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Police have not determined whether they will hold the man, who turned himself in, criminally or financially responsible. However, he was issued a citation for starting the fire.
"I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go," said Bilbao.