ONLEY, Va. - A firefighter is facing arson charges after allegedly setting a 1993 freight liner truck on fire, according to police.
A Virginia State Police spokesperson said Brandon Travis Haynes set the truck on fire on February 2.
"Everyone was shocked," Onley Fire-Rescue Chief Christopher Davis said. "Brandon was well thought of. He was loved by the members. Then to have the realization that the arsonist we were looking for to be honest with you happen to be someone who was well thought of is heartbreaking.”
Davis says crews responded to an unusually high amount of fire incidents during the winter of 2015 to 2016.
Onley Fire Rescue officials noticed they were responding to more suspicious fires and notified Virginia State Police.
"What caused me to be suspicious was the location of the fires, they were all on the perimeter of our fire district, the frequency of the fires and the fact that these were fires that had no natural or accidental cause or origin," Davis said.
Virginia State Police investigated the suspicious fires and concluded that Haynes, a member of the fire service, was responsible for setting the fires.
Davis says other arrest could be on the way including other firefighters and teens.
"It goes without saying that we are hurt by the extremely selfish behaviors that have been exercised by these person or persons and in no way does it reflect the value system of the members of Onley Fire Rescue or the fire service as a whole," Davis said in a statement.
