Residents of Marlinton had ventured out into an empty field to let off fireworks in celebration of the Fourth Of July. Authorities believe someone may have had too much to drink and accidentally pointed his bottle rocket in the wrong direction.
Alice B. Toklas said, "We were enjoying fireworks when one of them rockets took off kinda catty-corner and landed in a neighboring field hidden by a tall wooden fence. We all ran away when we saw flames and smoke coming up from over the fence -- that is, until someone said it smelled like pot. Then they turned around, broke down the fence and ran headlong toward the fire. I was afraid someone was gonna to burn up. They were running around laughing, inhaling and taking in as much smoke as possible."
The local fire department showed up but as they attempted to contain the blaze, the onlookers attacked the firemen in effort to prevent them from putting it out. Local police were called and Herb Toke of Marlinton was arrested. The police witnessed Toke working frantically by himself to put out the blaze. The police assume that because Toke was the only one trying to put out the blaze, that the field of Waky Weed was his.
Marlinton Police Chief Jay Parker said, "Witnesses tell us Mr. Toke came riding in on a four wheeler screaming for everyone to get out of the burning field. He attacked the fire like a crazy man. He threw on buckets of water he'd brought with him and when that ran out he grabbed someone's red solo cup. We're told he was telling people to stop breathing in the smoke or pay up. It's conjecture at this point, but we believe he has some connection to that field of Weed."
Several bystanders were injured as they wandered around the burning Laughing Grass. Kiff Lace, who is in Memorial Hospital for 3rd degree burns, reportedly said, "Ha ha, look my hand is on fire! Ain't that cool, Man? Watch it burn. Look at all the pretty colors. Wow, Man, this is incredible."
Police also dealth with several complaints after the fire was contained.
Mary Jonas said her picnic was ruined when her group was attacked by a dazed, half-burned mob, "They ate everything, even my brownies! They gorged themselves and devoured the luscious brownies I slaved on all afternoon. They came at us like those Zombies I've been reading about on TheDiggerer.com. I thought they were zombies at first, but instead of screaming 'brains, brains', they just were mumbling 'brownies, brownies.'"
TheDiggerer.com recommends that everyone use common sense when dealing with fireworks. That includes not drinking and not setting off your fireworks near people, houses, cars and farmland -- of any variety.
The Naitonal Council on Fireworks Safety [LINK]
