Idaho Firefighter who Set Blaze gets 10 Year Prison Sentenced

IDAHO CITY, Idaho (AP) — A former volunteer firefighter who set a fire northwest of Boise last summer that destroyed a home, threatened about 100 others and cost $2.3 million to fight has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Nineteen-year-old Nathaniel Bartholomew's sentence Friday in 4th District Court requires him to serve at least three and a half years before becoming eligible for parole. Judge Patrick Owen retained jurisdiction, meaning if Bartholomew successfully completes a six-month program in prison he could be released on probation at that time.

Bartholomew was a member of the Clear Creek volunteer fire department when he started the fire Sept. 17 in Boise County. Bartholomew was arrested while fighting the fire with other Clear Creek volunteer firefighters.