In June 1965, his truck caught fire due to a defective exhaust, triggering a forest fire that burnt down half of Los Padres National Forest in California. When the judge asked Cash why he did it, Cash said in his characteristically flippant style of the time, "I didn't do it, my truck did, and it's dead so you can't question it."

The fire destroyed 508 acres, burning the foliage off three mountains, and killing 49 of the refuge's 53 endangered condors. Cash was unrepentant -- "I don't care about your damn yellow buzzards."

The federal government sued him and was awarded $125,127. Johnny eventually settled the case and paid $82,000. In his autobiography, Johnny Cash said he was the only person ever sued by the government for starting a forest fire.