Meth user burns 5th oldest tree in the world

Four out of five dentists agree — smoking meth in a tree is as rough on the environment as it is on teeth.

Sarah Barnes, 26, is charged with burning tree, 3,500.

Need proof? Consider the sorrowful tale of 26-year-old Sarah Barnes, arrested Tuesday in Florida for burning down the fifth oldest tree in the world, reports WFTV in Orlando.

Barnes has admitted starting the fire and is charged with meth possession with intent to sell and arson.

Police say she and a friend clambered into a 118-foot-tall bald cypress Jan. 16 and allegedly smoked meth. Since it was dark, Barnes is alleged to have lit a fire so she could see.

Somehow, the calm, dextrous hands of a meth user led to a blaze that burned the 3,500-year-old plant “from the inside out.”

The night of the blaze, firefighters ran a mile of hose in a desperate attempt to save the tree, reports wesh.com.

“I can’t believe I burned down a tree older then Jesus,” Barnes is alleged to have said to friends while showing them pictures she took of the damage.

The ancient Taxodium distichum, dubbed “The Senator,” was located near Longwood, Fla., in Big Tree Park, which will need a new name.

• Read more about The Senator.