SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced that a Salt Lake City man was convicted for igniting his car on fire on public land.
In the summer of 2010, John Maxim publicly announced that he would destroy his Ford Escort if he received enough donations to save his mortgage.
The BLM called Maxim's car-burning "an Internet scheme" to save his house from foreclosure.
The BLM said Maxim pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts, including creating a hazard and a nuisance and causing a fire other than a campfire.
Maxim was fined a total of $1,000 and ordered to pay restitution to the BLM in the amount of $2,413.75 to cover response costs, BLM cleanup costs, fire suppression and auto towing fees, according to a press release from the BLM.
The BLM said Maxim’s probation includes the requirement that he not enter or remain on any BLM lands in Tooele County.
“It is never okay to ignite a fire other than a campfire on public lands,” said Salt Lake Field Office Manager Jill Silvey. “Actions are subject to consequences. Intentionally setting fire to a vehicle for a fund raising stunt causes quantifiable damage for recreationists, wildlife and vegetation on public lands.”
In return for raising money, the BLM said Maxim took his car to a favorite camping spot at Lone Rock in Skull Valley, Tooele County.
The BLM said the car-burning was the second incident in which Maxim was charged and found guilty of creating a hazard on public lands. In June 2009, Maxim advertised a large party at the same location where party-goers burned household furniture including couches, mattresses and electronics in a large bonfire.
----Information from: BLM.
