It is a sad commentary, indeed, that — at least according to the U.S. Forest Service and incident command teams — arson is suspected in most of the 21 fires (as of this writing) burning in the Nantahala National Forest in the far western counties of Western North Carolina.

Only the Boteler fire, which was first discovered Oct. 25, has been attributed to a  lightning strike, Adam Solt, public information officer with the Southern Red Team Incident Management Team, told the local news media recently.

To our chargrin, the rest of the fires are believed to be arson (meaning triggered by people), such as campfires left unattended or cigarettes tossed without being completed extinguished, Solt said.

Confirming Solt’s assessment was Cathy Dowd, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service in Asheville, who said their are signs in each of the other fires that they were started by human beings.

“Some signs of arson are the presence of accelerants – something used to start a fire quickly,” she said. “Another sign is the absence of a fire ring. With a campfire, you will see a fire ring.” As of this writing, the fires, scorching more than 80,000 acres in WNC, are being tackled by about 2,500 firefighters from across the country.

Forest Service law enforcement is leading the investigation, along with local sheriff’s departments, and we hope they bring the perpetrators to justice ... to discourage copycats, although nothing could atone for the damage to our gorgeous woodlands.