MAYVILLE – A man is headed to state prison for starting a fire that destroyed multiple buildings and killed animals in the southern end of the county.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced that Aubrey Baize, age 30, with home addresses in Randolph and Falconer, was sentenced Monday in Chautauqua County Court by Judge David W. Foley to an indeterminate state prison sentence of 4 to 12 years. He was convicted by a Chautauqua County Jury on April 25 for third-degree arson, a class C felony.

Schmidt noted that in July 2022, Baize intentionally started a fire in Kennedy, located in the town of Poland, that destroyed two houses and damaged others nearby. Residents of the destroyed homes lost valuable items, cherished property, and beloved family pets.

In 2022, Keith Bean, Kennedy fire chief, said the flames, difficulty in establishing a water supply, high temperatures and the wind made for “a bad combination” in firefighting efforts. Firefighters returned twice afterward after receiving reports that the smoldering debris had rekindled.

On Monday, Schmidt thanked the New York State Police and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Andrew Molitor and Alexander Scherer.