A man burning an American flag on Memorial Day weekend started a 5-acre wildfire in Washington state, NBC News reported.
No structures were damaged in the blaze. Four firefighting units from Grant County Fire District 13 assisted Ephrata Firefighters to bring the fire under control.
In a Facebook post, Grant County Fire District 13 said the incident occurred when an unnamed man tried to set an American flag blanket on fire, causing the flames to spread to a wildland.
Officials believe the outcome could have been much worse had weather conditions not played along.
"Any sort of wind and that would've been a totally different story," said Isaac Merkl of Fire District 13, according to NBC News.
"No matter your political views, we think it’s safe to say we can all agree starting a wildfire is no good!" Fire District 13 added on Facebook.
It is unclear whether the man who started the fire had been apprehended or would be facing any charges or fines. Ephrata Police are investigating the incident.
As long established, the act of burning a flag on its own is not considered an illegal act in the U.S. since it is protected free speech under the First Amendment, according to LawDictionary.com, but starting a fire without a permit in a public place can be illegal.
In a separate incident, three people were recently arrested for burning an American flag during a May Day protest in a park in Charlotte, North Carolina, and charged for carelessness with fire and injury to real property,
Meanwhile, in California a crowd gathered at a high school softball championship sang the national anthem a cappella after the ballpark's announcer informed everyone that the "Star-Spangled Banner" would not be played before the game.
The Central Section softball championship at Fresno State University in California was about to be played between Clovis and Buchanan high schools on Friday when the announcement was made.
The dismayed crowd responded by standing up and singing the anthem, prompting players warming up to face the flag and remove their hats.
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