A court in the Saratov Region in south European Russia will soon hear the case of a shepherd charged with destroying a forest, RIA Novosti reported.
Investigators say the shepherd, Alexei Ivchenko, carelessly threw a burning cigarette butt to the ground, which resulted in a forest fire that destroyed over 73 hectares of pine woods in April.
Damage inflicted upon the state totaled 1.44 million rubles ($47,500).
Ivchenko faces up to two years in jail for his negligence.