The brutal realities of the ESA were exhibited to the entire nation on ABC's "20/20" television news program of Friday, Nov. 19, 1993 (hosted by Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters and reported by John Stossel), where Ms. Anna Klimko, who obeyed the federal government's orders not to create a firebreak by plowing the brush in front of her house because doing so would damage the k-rat's burrows and therefore harm the k-rat, was kneeling in the ashes of her completely destroyed home and dreams, digging for possible remnants of family keepsakes.

Ms. Klimko looked up with tears streaming down her face and asked, "In three minutes, my house was fully consumed in flames and in seven minutes, everything was gone. For what? A rat?"