The Washington Post’s Christopher Lee gives us all the zany details about a four-year battle between the U.S. Forest Service and Rep. Henry Brown (R-S.C.). Brown has paid a $4,700 fine to the Dept. of Agriculture’s Forest Service after a burn from his South Carolina tree farm spread into a national forest.

Initially, instead of paying a fine for negligent burning, Brown said the Forest Service should change their rules. Determined to show they weren’t going to be pushed around by the Congressman, the federal agency used their precious resources to litigate the case. More than $100,000 later in legal fees, Brown is paying a $5,000 fine.

Between the embarrassed lawmaker and frustrated Forest Service, it’s tough to see who got burned the most. Read Lee here. MB

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