Recently, in Libo County, Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, a woman ignited a forest fire as a result of retaliating against ants and has been sentenced to 8 months in prison.
According to mainland Chinese media reports, 69-year-old Lu Mouping lives at the foot of the mountain and often goes to the mountains to gather wild vegetables to make a living when not working in agriculture.
In late March of this year, while Lu Mouping was gathering ferns on the mountain, she accidentally stepped on an ant nest, causing ants to climb onto her feet and bite her. Out of anger, she took out a lighter and ignited the dried grass and twigs next to the ant nest. Unfortunately, the weather was dry and windy, causing the surrounding grass to catch fire. She tried to put out the fire quickly, but it grew out of control, leading to a forest fire.
The fire was estimated to have affected a total area of 47.37 hectares, resulting in a total loss of 1,416,963.95 yuan.
Recently, Lu Mouping was sentenced to 8 months in prison for the crime of causing a fire. She is also required to complete reforestation and ensure a survival rate of over 85% for the planted trees by March 30, 2025.
Lu Mouping claimed that she only wanted to retaliate against the ants that had climbed onto her feet and bitten her, without expecting it to lead to a forest fire.