A sliver of vengeance today for those Californians that have lost family and friends, pets and homes in the three week long forest fire state officials are calling the worst they’ve yet seen: the culprit has been detained.

His name, Ryan Aldente, a young, Los Angeles games blogger whose decision to righteously burn a novelty check, part of a publicity stunt, birthed a small, yet unmanageable flame that has since transformed the west side of the city and the suburbs beyond it into a pyre, a wasteland of molten flesh and ashen memories.

The check in question came from Electronic Arts, the developers of Dante’s Inferno, asking the member of the press to cash it he dare. “You don’t understand, the check was a bribe,” screamed Aldente, handcuffed as police escorted him from his Los Feliz apartment. “I’m a serious journalist. My readers need to know that. Does no one respect real journalism?”

While morally correct in refusing a payout, one would be hard-pressed to deny that the fatal repercussions of Aldente’s unnecessary action have been anything if not far reaching. The fire, which quickly spread from his backyard across greater Los Feliz thanks to the areas atypical amount of flannel per square foot, screamed down West Hollywood by night, creeping onto Sunset Boulevard within days.

“I can still hear the elastic popping,” said one onlooker who had helplessly watched the fire consume a local plastic surgery ward.

But despite statewide hostility, Aldente maintains the support of of his company.

“We’re behind Aldente 210%,” says Brick Minton, the CEO of Aldente’s blog network.

“No. He had to film himself burning it — no other option. That’s how he proves, once and for all, he can’t be bribed by a silly publicity stunt.  I mean, yeah, he could’ve cashed the check, and then donated it to a charity, but that wouldn’t have gotten us half as many comments.”

“We just hope this fire made the message clear. If publishers want a good review they have to earn it by sending him a free copy. Or maybe a new backpack. Oh, how about a cake with his face on it!”

“You know what I mean. In the end,” Minton says, “the cost of a couple thousand lives is worth the integrity of one video game blog.”