A woman was arrested Tuesday and police say, she is responsible for burning down The Senator, the oldest pond cypress tree in the world, located in Longwood, Florida.
Sarah Barnes, 26, was taken into custody yesterday, accused of burning The Senator, on January 16, the Division of Forestry said.
Barnes admitted to police that she started the fire, saying she regularly went to the tree site to use drugs. She also said, on the night the tree burned, she lit a fire so she and a friend could see, because it was dark, but the fire burned out of control.
Barnes has been charged with meth possession with intent to sell and arson.
The tree, before its demise stood at 125 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of 17.5, burned from the inside out and when firefighters arrived to extinguish the blase the tree collapse. The tree now stands only 20 to 25 feet.
See photos of Sarah Barnes, The Senator arsonist, in a photo shoot, via The BucketHead Show.
