I didn't see the piece that you're refering to but it seems as if the producers got a couple of folks to express the two most extreme points of view. Some of the legal types on the forum may weigh in with a different point of view but to me "recklessly starting a fire" is more akin to burning your human waste in the middle of a bone dry forest than accidentally starting a blaze by the firing of a distress flare. I agree that the flare might not have been to well thought out but I don't know what other options were available to the guy, what else he had already tried, what his experience level was, etc, etc. Unless you have some insight into that information then your characterization of him as an idiot might be premature. You have 20 years experience but have never taken a hunter safety course. Are you really that good or just an idiot who's been lucky for 20 years? ***I'm just illustrating a point, NOT calling you an idiot****

That's my $.02

Ed