Page 51 of Ink and Ashes
Cass’s voice is nervous as she says, “I thought you were beginning to trust her.”
I scoff. “I was starting to believeher, and despite this article, I still do. But I don’t trust her, and all chances of that went down the drain the moment she decided telling people about her theory was more important than actually finding proof for it.”
“That’s not what this was.”
That gives me pause. “What do you mean? You read the article, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, that’s why I called. She told me about it last week, and as much as it may cause people to panic, I think it’s good the town knows. It’ll get their attention. She was brave to finally say what many of us have been thinking over the past few months.”
“Wait, you knew about this?”
“I hadn’t read it, but she told me she was writing it.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“No, because I knew you’d react like this. She’s not a bad person, regardless of the fact that you’ve convinced yourself she is. Publishing this article was her way of finally making people listen.”
“You can’t be serious.” I scoff. “I knew you were becoming friends with her, but are you telling me you actually think she wrote this as an attempt tohelp?”
Cassidy is silent for a moment, as if she’s trying to figure out what to say next. “Yes—the article makes some good points. And I think if you take a minute to look past her job, you might start asking the same questions.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this right now,” I growl. “We’ll see how you feel about it when panic ensues, and our workload increases tenfold.” As I turn into The Scarlet’s parking lot, I simply add, “Gotta go, Cass. We’ll finish this conversation later.”
“Colson, wait?—”
I hang up before she finishes her thought.
IS EMBER GROVE BURNING BY DESIGN?
By Holland Rhodes
Ember Grove,British Columbia — Fires are no stranger to this town. Year after year, they brace for fire season, aware of the risks that come with living in such abeautiful yet volatile region. But this year, something feels different.
In the past two months, Ember Grove has seen an unprecedented number of wildfires—eight in total. Four of those were confirmed to have started from lightning, but the other four—the larger four—have ignited under circumstances that defy the usual explanations. No lightning strikes, no unattended campfires, no careless spark from a grill. The fires seem to spring from nowhere, consuming everything in their path.
And yet, no one seems willing to ask the hard question: Could this be arson?
I know how this sounds. Accusing someone of deliberately setting fires in this community—a community I’ve been told I know nothing about—is a heavy claim. But sometimes, an outsider is the only one able to see things for what they truly are. As a journalist, I’ve learned to trust the patterns.
The patterns here are hard to ignore.
The fires have all started in remote areas, within a 2,000-hectare radius in which Ember Grove is directly centred. Each ignition site is far away from major roads or campsites, where accidental ignition seems highly unlikely. People here have been leaning toward these being holdover fires, which I suppose is not outside of the realm of possibility. However, I’ve visited these scenes with someone who knows a lot about fire investigation, and we’ve found no signs of lightning strikes.
Consider this: In a town as small as Ember Grove, eight wildfires in eight weeks should raise alarms. But instead of investigating further, the conversation has centred on “unfortunate weather conditions” and “dry forest floors.”
I’m not saying it’s impossible for this to be a freak fire season. But I owe it to the people whose lives and homes are at risk to consider every possibility.
In addition to these wildfires, the barn at WellandRanch was set aflame a few days ago, marking it as the ninth fire EGFD has fought this season. For those who know about the history of Welland Ranch and the significance of fire on the property, you know that it would be one hell of a coincidence for it to spontaneously catch fire—and on the thirty-year anniversary since the first fire there, no less.
Which brings me to my next question: Why would someone set the fires?
The motivations behind arson are complex, and wildfire arson even more so. Some do it for financial gain, like insurance fraud or land development schemes. Others seek attention or a twisted sense of power. And sometimes, the reasons are deeply personal, rooted in anger or revenge.
Ember Grove isn’t the kind of place you’d expect to harbour a criminal like this. But even small towns have their secrets, don’t they?
Raising this question might make me unpopular, but I’m already unwanted here, and staying silent feels worse. If there’s even a chance that these fires are being set intentionally, someone owes it to this town to ask the uncomfortable questions.
That’s what I’m doing.
