Ontario newspaper employee accused of intentionally setting nine fires on six different days faces up to 180 years in prison
The man prosecutors say intentionally started nine fires near Ontario, Oregon on six different days in June and July worked for the local newspaper and owns a home according to court and tax records obtained by Oregon Roundup Foundation. Paul C. Emerson, 61, is scheduled to enter a plea this afternoon on nine charges of First Degree Arson, carrying a combined theoretical maximum sentence of 180 years. Prosecutors and law enforcement are, so far, mum regarding Emerson’s possible motive.
Publicly available information about Emerson is limited. He maintained no identifiable social media accounts. In a story about Emerson’s July 21 arrest, the Argus Observer of Ontario reported he worked for the paper “at the time of his arrest.” A release recommendation report filed with the court and obtained by ORF via a record request explains Emerson worked one day a week, Tuesdays, as a delivery driver for the paper. The report says he is single with no children and has lived in Ontario for 20 – 25 years.
Requests for comment to the Argus Observer and its parent company, Wick Communications of Arizona, about the current status of Emerson’s employment and possible motivation in allegedly lighting the fires went unanswered.
Emerson owns a 1,700 square-foot, four-bedroom home in Ontario, half a block from Treasure Valley Community College, valued at $249,610, according to Malheur County tax records. The court denied his request for court-appointed counsel. Yesterday, Ontario attorney Douglas J. Rock notified the court he is representing Emerson.
Indictment: Nine arson ignitions, 14,000 acres charred
The amended indictment against Emerson, first reported by the Baker City Herald, alleges Emerson intentionally lit fires near Lytle Boulevard, a rural road southeast of Vale, on June 8, 15, 18, 19 and 22. In the indictment, a Malheur County grand jury alleges the June 22 fire caused property damage of $50,000 or more.
KTVB of Boise reported the Lytle Fire began burning near Vale the afternoon of June 22 and grew to 6,500 acres, forcing evacuations. The Herald reported the cost to extinguish the fire was estimated to be $1 million.
The grand jury also indicted Emerson for intentionally starting fires near the “Cow Camp Complex” four times on July 21, with one such ignition causing property damage of $50,000 or more. The Cow Camp Complex was a grouping of individual fires that started July 21, near the Malheur-Baker County line and burned 8,044 acres. Firefighters had it contained by July 25. The Argus Oberver reported the cost of fighting the Cow Camp Complex was $304,000 as of July 23.
The spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management Vale District Office, which is leading the Emerson investigation, did not respond to repeated requests for comment confirming whether the agency contends Emerson’s alleged arson led to the larger fires public reporting on which matches the dates and locations of his alleged acts of arson.
Arson, at least one allegedly politically motivated, plays role in historic fire season
Although most human-caused wildfires are accidental, authorities have linked a number of Pacific Northwest fires to alleged or confirmed arson this year. Federal regional data show that human activity accounted for 63% of wildfires in Oregon, Washington and Idaho last year, but most of those human-caused ignitions were accidental.
In Spokane County, Washington, prosecutors have charged 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci with intentionally starting the Old Trails Fire on August 1. According to investigators, Farinacci allegedly planned the fire for weeks, researched weather conditions and selected a day with low humidity and strong winds. Authorities say he also studied the techniques of a notorious serial arsonist and devised a time-delay ignition method. Farinacci faces five counts of first-degree arson in connection with multiple fires. The Old Trails Fire was one of three major fires around Spokane that collectively forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate and destroyed or damaged hundreds of structures. Authorities have not attributed the other two major Spokane fires to Farinacci.
In 2012, Farinacci had pleaded guilty to killing his father in Mesa, Arizona during a dispute about doing dinner dishes.
Another Oregon case this fire season involved an alleged political motive and resulted in domestic terrorism charges.
In June, Wheeler County prosecutors charged Ethan Noble Burlingame, 28, of Fossil, with two counts of domestic terrorism and other crimes after authorities accused him of setting a series of fires in and around the small north-central Oregon town.
According to a motion for an arrest warrant filed by Wheeler County District Attorney Gretchen Ladd, Burlingame emailed a “declaration of war” against the United States on June 1, exactly a week before authorities say Emerson began starting fires off Lytle Road some 200 miles away, and expressed an intent to cause “suffering, destruction and terror” and to “burn down the empire.” ORF broke the story of Burlingame’s alleged anti-American political motivation in a story published June 10.
Later the morning of June 1, a fire destroyed an unoccupied building near Burlingame’s residence. About two hours later, prosecutors allege Burlingame set fire to a main electrical transmission pole, causing an estimated $25,000 in damage and knocking out power while the pole was replaced.
Prosecutors allege Burlingame continued setting fires in the area. Early the next morning, he allegedly sent his manifesto to Wheeler County Sheriff Jeremiah Holmes. He later emailed Holmes that he was “joining the wars in Cuba, Palestine and Iran” and would surrender when those conflicts ended. According to prosecutors, Burlingame also claimed to have obtained a firearm and threatened to shoot “combatants,” including the Sheriff.
Burlingame was ultimately charged with two counts of domestic terrorism, two counts of first-degree burglary, second-degree arson, first-degree criminal mischief, first- and second-degree theft, two counts of interfering with a firefighter and five counts of reckless burning. Coincidentally, Burlingame is scheduled to enter a plea in Wheeler County this afternoon, too.
In Payette County, Idaho, just across the Snake River from Malheur County, the Idaho State Fire Marshal determined that a May 28 wildfire along Interstate 84 was deliberately set. The fire began in a farm field near milepost 15 on the westbound side of the interstate. Investigators determined that someone intentionally ignited discarded plastic irrigation drip tape shortly before strong winds moved into the area, allowing the flames to spread into surrounding vegetation. Authorities have sought the public’s help identifying whoever started the fire.
Farther afield, prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht started the fire that ultimately became the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles January 1, 2025, due to resentment toward capitalism and the wealthy. A witness said Rinderknecht ranted about Luigi Mangione, capitalism and vigilantism just prior to allegedly starting the fire, which was one of the most destructive and costly wildfires in U.S. history, destroying nearly 6,850 structures and killing 12 people. Rinderknecht’s attorneys have denied he started the fire.
Neither Emerson nor Burlingame has entered a plea in their respective cases. Both are innocent until proven guilty.
Oregon Roundup Foundation created this article. ORF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to covering Oregon political and government news. Media outlets are welcome to use this article for free with attribution of the author and Oregon Roundup Foundation. If your local news outlet isn’t carrying ORF articles, ask ‘em why.