Man charged in brush fire blamed on damaged cords

The 79-year-old is accused of a misdemeanor, and the owner of the home where the blaze began faces several insurance claims.

[Times photos: Ron Thompson] From a tiny patch of burning grass, the March 15 brush fire raced west, eventually covering 550 acres north of Crystal River.

By BILL VARIAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 19, 2000

CRYSTAL RIVER -- The man blamed for accidentally starting Citrus County's largest wildfire of the year last month will face a misdemeanor charge in court Thursday.

Authorities say Harry Hilkert, 79, should have known he was using a worn-out extension cord, which shorted out, igniting the parched grass in his friend's yard.

Hilkert has been charged with setting a careless fire. The blaze began March 15 and burned 550 acres north of Crystal River as it raced west of his friend's Emerald Oaks home.

A state investigator said three extension cords were involved. One had a bare spot and another had been repaired with tape.

Remarkably, the fire did not damage any houses. However, the owner of the home where the fire started is facing "six or seven" insurance claims for property damage, said Gary Bain, an investigator with the law enforcement office of the Florida Department of Agriculture.

Hilkert was staying at the home of Brinda Thompson, at 6630 N Paraqua Circle, where the fire started. Mrs. Thompson told the Citrus Times that Hilkert had strung an extension cord to a shed behind her house to cut some stacked wood with a power saw.

Bain said Tuesday that it was actually three extension cords. One of them had been taped twice to repair past damage and had another area of exposed wire.

That likely caused one of the extension cords to overheat, igniting the grass, Bain said.

"Had these been brand new cords and all of a sudden they just did something, there probably would not have been a citation," Bain said.

Mrs. Thompson said that the previously repaired extension cord was checked out by her insurance company, the Hartford Insurance, and checked out okay. She said the fire was merely an accident that has caused her friend a great deal of heartache.

"It's been trying for him," Mrs. Thompson said. "He's been worrying himself to death about it."

A phone call to Hartford was not returned Tuesday.

But Mrs. Thompson confirmed Tuesday that there have been at least five claims against her policy since the fire, mostly for the costs to repair fences and other minor items. She did not know the total cost of the claims. She said the insurance company has agreed to pay them.

Hilkert faces a maximum of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Thursday is his first appearance in court on the charge. Mrs. Thompson said she did not yet know how Hilkert will plea. She planned to call her son Tuesday evening to get his advice.

"It sure makes you think before you pull a drop cord out," Mrs. Thompson said. "I did learn something out of all this: I got myself a fire extinguisher. Not just one, but two."

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