CASPER — A 46-year-old Casper man who started multiple fires around the city last summer, including at a local motel and a restaurant, was sentenced Tuesday to 6-12 years in prison
Dallas Smith stood before Natrona County District Court Judge Kerri Johnson and, prior to getting his sentence, told the judge he was mentally ill and on psychotropic medications.
He and his defense attorney sought probation instead of prison time, but the judge disagreed, saying the crimes are serious.
“Probation is not appropriate for the first-degree arsons,” Johnson said, pointing out that the motel needed to be evacuated because of the fire.
Smith entered a plea deal with the Natrona County District Attorney’s office on Jan. 6 and pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree arson for fires set at the Yellowstone Motel on July 3, 2025, and at the Red and White Cafe on May 19, 2025.
Smith also pleaded guilty to three fourth-degree arson charges for a fire at 728 E. C Street and two fires at 933 N. Kimball on July 3, 2025.
Eight other arson charges were dropped for fires in alleys and open spaces, along with an additional arson charge for another open-space fire that was not filed.
Assistant District Attorney Jeff Meyer told the court that there “was really no explanation” for Smith’s actions last May through August, and that even the “small fires” set in alleyways and open spaces could have turned disastrous.
“There is no excuse for the defendant’s actions,” he said.
At one point in talking with police, Smith told investigators that he turns to arson when he gets mad at his landlord over having to pay rent, according to court documents.
Meyer asked the judge for 12 years on the first-degree arson counts and 270 days — Smith’s time already served in jail — for the misdemeanor charges.
Defense Attorney Dylan Rosalez told the judge that his client had “significant mental health issues and substance abuse issues.”
Rosalez said that Smith wanted to go to a treatment facility in Sheridan and get out of Casper.
“He wants to have a chance to prove himself to the court,” he said.
Suspended Sentence Request
Rosalez asked the judge to consider a suspended sentence of eight to 12 years and eight years of supervised probation for the two first-degree arson charges and time served on the misdemeanors.
Smith apologized for his actions and told the judge that he did not want to “be in Casper any longer.”
He talked about being targeted with threats from other inmates in the jail and how he understood the fires he set were serious.
“I should have reached out for help and I did not,” he said. “I want a chance to make amends to the people. I caused a lot of financial (issues) for quite a few.
"I do apologize to every person I caused some financial issues to.”
Smith said he had been seeing a counselor at least three times a month in jail.
Johnson thanked Smith for his input and sentenced him to concurrent terms of six to 12 years for the first-degree arson charges and 270 days in jail for his three misdemeanor counts.
She also recommended that Smith go through an intensive treatment program for his substance abuse issues while at the Wyoming Department of Corrections. He also was ordered to provide $200 restitution to one of his arson victims.
Charges against Smith followed the Casper Police Department reporting publicly last summer that they suspected a serial arsonist was in the city after six fires broke out in a 12-hour period from July 2-3.
A police affidavit states that an anonymous caller left a message with the Casper Fire Department on May 16, 2025, saying that the Red and White Cafe had electrical issues and there was grease buildup on the stove in the former restaurant and fire hazards in a garage behind it.
On May 19, the fire department was dispatched to a structure fire at the building behind the Red and White Cafe that appeared to have been used by homeless people.
Six Fires On One Day
On July 3, the Casper Fire Department responded to six fires, and at 2:15 a.m. also was called to the 1600 block of E. Yellowstone Highway and the Yellowstone Motel for a structure fire.
Four rooms in the north section of the motel were occupied, and residents had been told to evacuate.
Firefighters found a small fire on the northwest corner of the building beneath a power breaker box.
“A charred pile of unknown cloth material that appeared to have been intentionally built and subsequently lit with a competent ignition source” was discovered, the affidavit states.
During police contact with Smith that day, Smith spoke of fire hazards at the Yellowstone Motel and the Red and White Cafe as well as concerns about potential fire issues in the building behind the cafe, just as the anonymous caller had in May, the affidavit states.
Smith referred to the owner and manager of the motel as “slumlords” and that they were “bigoted” and took advantage of residents who lived there.
The affidavit states investigators found video footage of Smith, linking him to the area around the motel in the early morning hours of the fire.
After fires on Aug. 29, Smith was again questioned by police and admitted to starting two fires on that date, stating “dry leaves do a lot.”
When asked about other fires that had popped up over the summer, Smith told police about starting a fire on July 1 in the 1000 block of St. John Street and admitted starting the fire in the garage behind the Red and White Cafe in May.
But when asked about the fire at the Yellowstone Motel he denied it, even though he was informed there was video of him in the area.
‘I’m Responsible’
“How many more fires are you going to ask me about because I told you I’m responsible,” he told police, according to the affidavit.
Smith told police about “his displeasure” with the motel over seven years and that he started the fire with a red blouse he found on a nearby fence and piled trash on top, which was the result of “anger.”
He told police he becomes “on edge” when talking about the motel.
The affidavit also states that he started a fire in the 800 block of N. Washington Street on Aug. 26 to “burn the pain.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
