Model 'burned down 3,500-year-old tree because she needed light to see what drugs she was taking'

Sara Barnes, 26, of Winter Park, Florida, was 'identified by two witnesses'

She caused 118ft bald cypress tree to burn and collapse in Jan, police say

Officials found methamphetamine, scales and drug equipment at her home



Charged: Sara Barnes, 26, was arrested for burning down a historic tree while doing illegal drugs

A young model allegedly set a fire that caused one of the world's oldest cypress trees to burn and collapse because she needed light in the darkness to see what drugs she was doing.

Sara Barnes, 26, of Winter Park, Florida, was identified by two witnesses as the person who caused the 118ft bald cypress tree named ‘The Senator’ to burn and collapse on January 16, police said.

The woman allegedly took photos of the fire on the 3,500-year-old tree with her phone but did not call 911 - and authorities found methamphetamine, scales and drug paraphernalia at her home.

One of the first photos seen on her public Facebook profile is of clumps of marijuana. Agricultural officials searched her home on Tuesday and also confiscated her mobile phone and laptop.

Since Barnes’s arrest was made public, she has received plenty of harsh criticism because the tree - dated by park officials thanks to its ring samples - was a beloved historic symbol in Longwood, Florida.

Too late: Seminole County and Longwood firemen watched helplessly as the 3,500-year-old tree burned Not one with nature: Authorities found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia at Barnes's home in Florida Model: Sara Barnes, 26, of Winter Park, Florida, was identified by two witnesses as the person who caused the 118ft bald cypress tree named 'The Senator' to burn and collapse on January 16, police said A $30,000 fence is planned to be built nearby to stop visitors stealing the remaining portions of the tree, or from standing too near Lady Liberty, a neighbouring 2,000-year-old cypress tree. The tree made it 165ft before a 1925 hurricane lopped off its top, park officials say. Native American Indians who lived throughout central Florida would use the tree as a landmark. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

1

Next Firefighter WAS killed in a drug-related murder and main... Trouble under foot: Stunning black and white photographs... Share this article Share In the late 19th century it became a popular visitor attraction. It was the centrepiece of Longwood's Big Tree Park and believed to be the oldest of its kind in North America. It was also thought to be the fifth oldest in the world. Firefighters had a difficult time getting to the tree at Longwood's Big Tree Park and had to run almost a mile of hose to get to The Senator.

Famed: It was named for Senator M.O. Overstreet who donated the tree's land to the state in 1927

Tourist attraction: A plaque at the site of The Senator heralds it as the largest Cypress in the U.S.

Wreckage: A Seminole County firefighter foams down what is left of The Senator, a 3,500-year-old cypress tree that burned in Big Tree Park in Longwood, Florida, right, and as it used to stand, left



The tree, which had withstood lightning storms, hurricanes, droughts and other harsh conditions, burned for several hours before it was weakened so much that it collapsed in less than three hours.

Initially, authorities thought it was simply a natural accident and the damage from a strike of lightening. A 20ft section of the tree fell off at 7:45am, and the tree collapsed a half-hour later.

According to News13, firefighters had to keep a considerable distance. As the heat rose, the top of tree burned, sending burning limbs falling more than 100ft to the ground below.