Source : Perth Now news
A firefighter has been arrested for allegedly starting fires and then responding to them.
Justin Sholly, a member of the Perseverance Volunteer Fire Company, has is facing charges including arson after allegations he has been setting fires and then putting them out with his fire department over the weekend in Pennsylvania.
As reported by ABC News, court documents show the 29-year-old man was arrested over the weekend.
Late last week, the Perseverance Volunteer Fire Company and others responded to a blaze at a detached garage/barn.
The criminal complaint notes that the fire was around 50 feet behind a home with 10 people inside.
Just hours later on the same day, the department went to a trash fire.
Early the next morning, on Saturday (30.05.26), crews headed to a property following reports of multiple fires in a barn, shed, outhouse, three cars and a gazebo, all near a home with eight people inside.
It’s said license plate reader databases helped authorities identify Sholly, who has not entered a plea, as a suspect.
He admitted to setting all three fires, while he actually responded back to two of the blazes with other firefighters.
According to the complaint, Sholly said one of the fires was close to a property he thought belonged to a former employer who fired him 11 years ago.
He has been suspended from the Perseverance Volunteer Fire Company, “with intent to remove upon future outcomes”.
The fire department added in a statement: “The actions described in the criminal charges stand in complete opposition to the core values, mission, and dedication of our company.”
