Woman blamed for 'Senator' fire pleads not guilty

The woman accused of burning down a historic tree in Seminole County pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday.

Police said Sara Barnes, 26, burned down the "Senator" cypress in Longwood in January.

Big Tree Park, where the Senator was located, remains closed because of the fire, officials said.

After court on Tuesday, Barnes’ attorney talked about the evidence against her.

"At this point, we'd have to assess all the evidence and we don't know what kind of pretrial motions we're going to have, whether we will try to suppress something or not,” said Barnes’ attorney. “It's just too early to comment on the facts of the case until I read an actual police report.”

The Senator was 118 feet tall and 3,500 years old. According to police, Barnes said she lit the inside of the tree because she needed light to see the methamphetamine she was using.

Detectives believe she might have gotten away with the crime if not for several tipsters.

"Every now and then we'll take a tip where we solve the theft of plants, but something as monumental as that tree being burnt down, it's pretty significant," said Detective Barbara Bergin, Crimeline's executive director.

Bergin said the anonymous tips came in the day after the blaze. She said the person told them Barnes took pictures of the fire with her cellphone and boasted, saying, "I can't believe I burned down a tree older than Jesus."

Barnes is charged with unlawful burning of land, as well as two drug charges. Her next hearing is scheduled for June 6.