An Evans City man was given a prison sentence and ordered to pay nearly $85,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to starting a fire in his home in July 2020.

Larry David Stevick, 65, was sentenced Thursday to serve 24 to 60 months in state prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge of arson filed by Mars police.

Stevick apologized before Common Pleas Court Judge Timothy McCune imposed the sentence, which included restitution of $84,856, mostly to an insurance company.

Public defender Joseph Smith read a letter from Stevick’s sister, who he said works in law enforcement in Texas, asking for leniency.

Stevick has struggled with alcoholism his entire life and has mental health issues, he said, reading from the letter.

In addition to arson, he was charged with four counts of recklessly endangering another person, two counts of simple assault, cruelty to animals and harassment.

During the July 2 fire at 303 Garfield Avenue, four volunteer firefighters with the Harmony Fire District were momentarily caught inside the multi-story house and had to be rescued, police said.

The fire started around 10 p.m., and neighbors told police they saw Stevick at the house minutes before the fire.

The four Harmony firefighters served as the “search-for-life” crew that went into the house to look for any possible victims inside. They reported that the floor of the home was slippery and one of them fell, police said.

During the search, police said, the four-man crew thought the floor above them had collapsed, prompting a “mayday” call at 10:35 p.m.

A rescue team of firefighters eventually helped extricate the search crew through a window. None of the firefighters were injured. It took about an hour to extinguish the blaze.

While the firefighters were being rescued, police and firefighters found Stevick on the ground near the back of the house.

He was coughing, burned and covered with motor oil. His hands were bleeding, police said. Oily footprints and blood smears were found leading from the house to the area where Stevick was found, police said. Investigators also found empty gallon jugs of motor oil in the house following the fire.

Damage to the structure and contents was estimated at $250,000. According to the Butler County Assessment Office, Stevick purchased the house in November 2007.

A state police fire marshal reported that the fire was intentionally set with multiple points of origins, and motor oil was intentionally poured on at least one floor and about the house.

Police said that surveillance video was obtained from multiple sources as part of the investigation. The footage allegedly showed Stevick walking in front of the house before the fire, and he appeared to be holding jugs of motor oil.

“The video shows Stevick entering the front main door of the main floor with one of these (jugs),” the affidavit said. “Stevick carried the container into the house (and) the video shows the fire flashing immediately after.”