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Former Idaho Volunteer Firefighter ordered to Pay $2 Million in Restitution

A volunteer firefighter who was convicted of setting a wildland fire in 2012, and served two years in prison, has been ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution for his crime.

Nathaniel Bartholomew was 18 when he intentionally set the Karney Fire that burned over 440 acres, destroyed one home and threatened 275 others. He was sentenced to ten years in prison, but was paroled on April 30, 2015 after serving two years. On May 22, 2015, Judge Patrick Owen ordered Bartholomew to pay a total of $2,398,826.83 in restitution to his victims.

Bartholomew, now 21, was a volunteer firefighter with the Clear Creek Fire Department.

Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 50 years of fire service experience and 40 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. Besides his law degree, he has a MS in Forensic Psychology. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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One Comment

  1. Be interesting to see if he can get the money. As a convicted felon, it’ll be hard for him to find ANY job, never mind one that would allow him to survive and pay $2 million plus in restitution. Not that I’m saying he shouldn’t, he certainly should, especially after getting eight years shaved off his sentence, but he’s going to be like a lot of drunk drivers who get sued… he’ll be virtually “judgment-proof.”

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