Midrash for Bava Kamma 121:7
אמר רב פפא תנא דידן קא חשיב מלמעלה למטה שש אמות פטור חמש אמות פטור עד ארבע אמות פטור תנא ברא מלמטה למעלה קא חשיב שתי אמות חייב שלש אמות חייב עד ארבע אמות חייב
But according to the view that [his inquiry concerned] hidden goods in the case of Fire, what would be the meaning [of this verse], '<i>but he poured it out unto the Lord'?</i> — That he repeated this [halachic statement] in the name of general traditional learning.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [And not in 'their names'.] ');"><sup>11</sup></span> <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF IT CROSSED A FENCE FOUR CUBITS HIGH OR A PUBLIC ROAD<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sixteen cubits wide. ');"><sup>12</sup></span>
Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael
"If fire go out and it find thorns": "thorns" are mentioned only to assign a limit (for his liability). If thorns are present (and carry the fire), there is a limit (for his liability). If they are not present (and he lights it directly) there is no limit. From here they ruled: If it crossed a river or a (public) way or a fence ten cubits high and caused damage, he is not liable. How is he perceived? He is perceived as standing in the midst of a beth-kor and damaging, (liability obtaining up to about 137 cubits on all sides.) R. Eliezer says: Sixteen cubits, as (the distance of) the public way. R. Akiva says: Fifty cubits. R. Shimon says: "Pay shall he pay, he that lights the fire" — all according to the fire (i.e., according to the height of the fire and its mass. The bigger it is, the farther it travels.) It once happened that a fire crossed the Jordan and caused damage because of its mass. When is this so? When it moves in spurts; but when it moves contiguously, even up to a mil, he is liable.
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