CRAIG T.

PETERSON (7095)
Assistant Attorney General
SEAN D. REYES (7969)
Utah Attorney General
5272 South College Drive, Suite 200
Murray, Utah 84123
Tel: 801-281-1200
Fax: 801-281-1266
Email: craigpeterson@agutah.gov

Attorneys for Plaintiff

IN THE EIGHTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT - VERNAL DEPARTMENT

COUNTY OF UINTAH, STATE OF UTAH

STATE OF UTAH, INFORMATION

Plaintiff, (Service by Summons)

v.

REX RICHARD OLSEN Case No. ________________

DOB 2/23/1980

Defendant. Judge: ___________________

The undersigned, Jason Curry of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands,
states upon information and belief that the defendant REX RICHARD OLSEN, in Uintah
County, State of Utah, either directly or as a party to the offense under Utah Code Ann. 76-2-
202, committed the crimes of:

COUNT 1
ARSON, a Second-Degree Felony, in violation of Utah Code Ann. 76-6-102 (1)(b) and (3)(a),
as follows: on or about June 9, 2017, in Uintah County, State of Utah, the defendant, REX
OLSEN, by means of fire or explosives unlawfully and intentionally damaged the property of
another exceeding $5,000 in damage, to wit: the defendant did intentionally place an incendiary
device in dry grass with the intention of starting a fire that unlawfully and intentionally damaged
the property of the State of Utah in excess of $5,000.

COUNT 2
WILDLAND FIRE PREVENTION PROHIBITED ACTS, a Class B misdemeanor, in
violation of Utah Code Ann. 65A-3-2(1)(a), as follows, on or about June 9, 2017, the
defendant, REX OLSEN, threw or placed a lighted cigarette, cigar, firecracker, ashes, or other
flaming or glowing substance that could have caused a fire on a highway or a wildland fire, to
wit: the defendant placed a lighted cigarette with matches just off the shoulder of a highway right
of way that he knew or should have known would cause a wildland fire.

THIS INFORMATION IS BASED ON EVIDENCE OBTAINED FROM THE FOLLOWING

WITNESSES: J. Curry of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands.

DECLARATION OF PROBABLE CAUSE:

Your declarant bases this information upon the following:

I am an investigator with the State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources. I

investigated what is called the Maeser fire in Uintah County beginning on or about June 9,
2017. I located the starting point of the fire, and collected physical evidence consisting of a
burned cigarette and match combination. Based on training and experience, I knew this to be a
delayed ignition device constructed to ignite a fire using the cigarette as a timed fuse. I located
and reviewed video evidence at a local gas station that showed Rex Olsen (Olsen) purchasing
the type of cigarette used at the scene to start the fire. I also obtained GPS based location data
from Olsens patrol car that showed he was in the area where the fire began at the time the
ignition device was placed and the fire was started.

I conducted an in-person interview with Olsen. During this interview, Olsen stated and
acknowledged that he alone was the person responsible for intentionally igniting the Maeser fire
on June 9th, and that he did so because he wanted to feel the excitement of it.

The damage caused to property and land, including the cost of responding to and
suppressing the fire, is more than $800,000.00.

Pursuant to Utah Code Ann. 78B-5-705 (2008)

I declare under criminal penalty of the State of Utah
that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my
belief and knowledge.

Executed on: This 8th day of August, 2017.

/s/ J. Curry
J. CURRY
Declarant
Authorized for presentment and filing:
SEAN REYES, Utah Attorney General

/s/ Craig T. Peterson

CRAIG T. PETERSON
Assistant Attorney General