Yerushalmi Bava Kamma 6:5 ירושלמי בבא קמא ו׳:ה׳

MISHNAH: He who sets a fire which consumes wood, or stones, or dust, is liable since it is said: “If fire gets out of control and finds thorns, etc.”⁸⁰Ex. 22:5. The Halakhah will explain the proof from the verse. If it crossed a wall four cubits high⁸¹A stone or brick wall which will not burn., or a public road⁸²At least 16 cubits wide (Halakhah 6, Mishnah Bava batra 6:7)., or a brook⁸³At least 8 cubits wide (Halakhah 6)., he is not liable.

HALAKHAH: “He who sets a fire which consumes wood,⁸⁴The full verse reads: “If fire gets out of control and finds thorns, or consumes a stack of sheaves, or standing grain, or the field, the person who set the blaze shall certainly pay.” Similar discussions on what the different examples mentioned in the verse imply are in the Babli 60a, Mekhilta dR. Ismael, Neziqin 14 (ed. Horovitz-Rabin p. 297), Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Ioḥai p. 196.” etc. Since thorns are flammable, do I only include flammable material? The verse says, “a stack”. Since a stack of sheaves is particular in that it was harvested, do I only include harvested material? The verse says, “standing grain.” Since all of these are particular in that they are flammable, do I only include flammable material? If it swept his furrow or damaged his stone, from where? The verse says, “or the field.⁸⁵The earth constituting the field.” Should it only have mentioned thorns, standing grain, and stack, but not mentioned field? In the opinion of Rebbi Jehudah⁸⁶Mishnah 7. Since R. Jehudah requires the arsonist to pay for everything of value stored inside the stack, nothing of value would have been excluded if “field” had not been mentioned. this is acceptable since he says, he pays for everything inside. But according to the rabbis, who say that he only pays for a stack of wheat or barley sheaves, why did it mention “field”⁸⁷To include stones and require the arsonist also to pay for the work needed to plough the field anew., why did it mention “stack”⁸⁸To include everything stacked, even limestone assembled to be burned into lime (Mekhilta dR. Ismael).?

“If it crossed a wall four cubits high, or a public road, or a brook, he is not liable.” Rebbi Abba said, the Mishnah speaks of burning fire⁸⁹A fire which spreads by burning the flammable material next to it, to be distinguished from wind-whipped fire which jumps over fire clearings and waterways.. But if it is wind-whipped everybody agrees that he is liable⁹⁰Since it can be expected to cross a fire clearing of 16 cubits and more.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, the Mishnah speaks of wind-whipped fire, but if it is burning he is not liable⁹⁰Since it can be expected to cross a fire clearing of 16 cubits and more..