College professor faces arson charges in series of California wildland fires

(CN) — Authorities in Northern California have arrested a college professor on suspicion of starting numerous fires, some in proximity to the Dixie Fire — now the second-largest wildfire in recorded state history. 

U.S. Forest Service officers arrested Gary Maynard, who taught criminal justice and sociology classes on deviant behavior at Sonoma State University and Santa Clara University, on Saturday after a lengthy investigation that included placing a tracking device underneath the bumper of Maynard’s car. 

While Maynard was seen near the origin of the Dixie Fire, he has so far only been charged with starting the Ranch Fire in the Mendocino National Forest. However, he is suspected of setting several fires throughout Northern California in July and August. 

“It appeared that Maynard was in the midst of an arson-setting spree,” investigators said.  

According to an affidavit, authorities began investigating Maynard after a witness saw him leaving the scene where a few small spot fires had started on July 20, in proximity to the Cascade Fire. 

Two mountain bikers initially found the fire, worked to stamp it out and called authorities. Officers found a witness who claimed Maynard was behaving suspiciously. 

“Witness 1 believed the man was mentally unstable, describing the man as, ‘mumbling a lot and having bipolar-like behavior,'” U.S. Forest Service special agent Tyler Bolen said in the affidavit.

Investigators confronted Maynard, who was in a state of agitation due to car troubles, and subsequently noticed a collection of burnt sticks and newspaper ashes near the car.

They released Maynard but not before placing a tracking device on the professor’s car.

After the Cascade Fire, investigators noticed a spate of fires near Mt. Shasta that all showed indications of being intentionally set. During routine investigations, authorities noticed Maynard’s vehicle tracks near the flash point of one of the fires.

“Based on the vehicle tracking data that placed (Maynard’s vehicle) at the fire’s origin during the time-frame this fire ignited and learning the results of the origin and cause investigation findings, the evidence indicated that Maynard had set this fire with an unknown fire-setting device,” Bolen wrote.

Authorities say Maynard set another fire on Aug. 7, and they took him into custody when he returned to the scene. 

“Based on my training and experience, I know that arsonists have been known to return to their fires,” Bolen wrote.

Maynard worked at Sonoma State University, where he would teach classes on criminal justice as a substitute for other tenured professors on vacation or sick leave. He also retained a full-time position at Santa Clara University in the sociology department, according to court documents. 

Investigators say Maynard was amid an arson spree when he was finally detained near where the Dixie Fire is burning. They also accuse him of setting fires in the emergency closure area near the Dixie Fire, endangering firefighters

The month-old Dixie Fire is the second-largest in state history, having scorched about 500,000 acres and is at 30% containment. Pacific Gas & Electric have reported to regulators that equipment may have malfunctioned at around the time the blaze broke out.

If convicted, Maynard faces five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. 

U.S. Assistant Attorney Michael Anderson asked the judge overseeing the case to deny bail, according to the Sacramento Bee, which broke the story Tuesday night. 

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