Former Utah Highway Patrol trooper, who admitted to starting a wildfire near Vernal, is heading to jail for a second-degree felony arson charge. The Office of the Utah Attorney General announced Thursday that Rex Richard Olsen deliberately started a fire in June of 2017 in the "wild-lands area" off the shoulder of Maeser Highway. Investigators say at the time Olsen set the fire, he was on duty as a UHP Trooper. Olsen used a cigarette and match to start the fire to "feel the excitement of it." The fire burned nearly 900 acres, and nearby homes had to be evacuated. Olsen entered a guilty plea on Nov. 14, 2017. and was sentenced to six months in jail and three years of probation.