One of our beefs with the endless expansion of government bureaucracy and power strikes at the nature of the public sector. We need some government of course, but agencies lack the accountability of the private sector. Lacking customers, they have distorted incentives. When they make mistakes, their employees rarely are held accountable. Taxpayers foot the bill for any liability issues (provided the government can even be held liable). The so-called Airport Fire is blazing across Orange and Riverside counties, engulfing 23,500 acres. Although currently 31 percent contained, it remains a major threat in the region. News reports say that 115 homes and several businesses have been destroyed, 14 people have been injured and, of course, firefighting efforts will cost many millions of dollars. But the alleged source of the blaze has sparked outrage: county government. As CBS News reports, “The blaze was unintentionally started by public works crews that were using heavy equipment in the area on Sept. 9.” The headline of a column from this newspaper group’s columnist Teri Sforza puts the matter in stark terms: “‘Reckless and stupid,’ ‘incompetent’: OC work that started Airport fire questioned, blasted.” She quotes one former firefighter who refers to the event as “accidental arson.” Despite extreme heat and dryness, county public-works crews were moving boulders with heavy machinery to halt off-roaders from riding ATVs on wilderness areas. That’s inconceivable. Orange County has strict rules for property owners about procedures to minimize wildfire risks. The county tells residents to “accept responsibility to protect yourself, your family and your community.” We’ve yet to see county government accept responsibility. Per Sforza’s column, the county has launched an investigation but most “county officials were not eager to discuss the county’s liability or whose decision it was to do the work.” Officials say they will “evaluate their policies” after the fire is contained. We’ll wait and see, but given the nature of government we won’t hold our breath about any ultimate accountability. We also know that if there are lawsuits that county taxpayers – rather than any individuals responsible – will pay.