San Jose Professor Gets 5 Years for Arson Spree, Putting Firefighters in Danger

A former California professor has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison for setting multiple fires on federal property, putting the lives of firefighters at risk during the Dixie Fire.

Gary Stephen Maynard, 49, of San Jose, was sentenced in federal court Monday for three counts of arson on federal property, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.

“Maynard went on an arson spree on federal land while California faced one of the worst fire seasons in history,” said Talbert. “He intentionally made a dangerous situation more perilous by setting some of his fires behind the men and women fighting the Dixie fire, potentially cutting off any chance of escape.”

The U.S. Forest Service and civilian witnesses quickly responded to extinguish the fires, but not before Maynard was identified by law enforcement agencies as the suspect.

“This is a great example of how cooperation between law enforcement agencies serves our public and makes us safe,” said U.S. Forest Service Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tony Magarrell.

According to court documents, Maynard set a series of fires in the Shasta Trinity National Forest and in the vicinity of the then-ongoing Dixie Fire in the Lassen National Forest. He admitted to setting the Cascade Fire on July 20, 2021, the Everitt Fire on July 21, 2021, the Ranch Fire on Aug. 7, 2021, and the Conard Fire on Aug. 7, 2021.

Maynard was ordered to pay $13,081 in restitution for the damage caused by his actions. He will serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea J. Kenny and Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case, which was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, CalFire, the California Highway Patrol, and the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department.