Chico man sentenced to 16 months in prison for attempted arson near Chico airport

OROVILLE, California — A Chico man was sentenced to one year and four months in prison Thursday in Butte County Superior Court for attempted arson in rural north Chico, the Butte County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Officials say Marc Traylor, 56, a transient in Chico, was arrested Wednesday, July 3, after a witness called the Butte County Sheriff’s Office to report a man attempted to set fire to a 100-acre field southeast of the Chico airport shortly after 8 p.m.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said sheriff’s deputies and Chico police were called to the scene near an industrial park in the area north of Thorntree Drive, noting that the incident occurred on a day when the high temperature was above 105 degrees at 4 p.m. and relative humidity was in the single digits.

RELATED:Homeless man from Chico charged with attempted arson near airport

The witness told officers he saw Traylor standing at a fence that bordered the 100-acre property, which was covered in dry grass and brush. When the witness asked what Traylor was doing, Traylor replied that he had set it on fire, Ramsey said.

Prosecutors say the witness understood Traylor’s statement to mean he was trying to set the vacant lot on fire. The witness called the Butte County Sheriff and chased Traylor away.

According to officials, officers initially spotted Traylor in the area, but he refused to comply with orders to sit on the ground and attempted a confrontation with Chico police. He was eventually arrested for resisting arrest and attempted arson.

Officials said a search of Traylor revealed he had a lighter and dry grass in his pocket. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison for attempted arson.