Hero who pulled woman from burning home among firefighters accused of arson, WV cops say

A series of intentionally set structure fires around a small West Virginia town has led investigators to the last place they expected: The local fire department.

The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office says in a press release that it has arrested and charged five Cabell County volunteer firefighters with arson in connection with several fires set in the Barboursville area.

The suspects range in age from 19 to 29, and TV station WSAZ reports one was lauded last year for “helping save an unconscious woman from a house fire.”

“All five had been terminated from their fire department prior to any charges being filed,” said the release from the state fire marshal’s office.

Barboursville is a town of about 4,200 people, 42 miles east of the state capital of Charleston.

Investigators declined to release the name of the fire department the men worked with, but WSAZ identified it as the Barboursville Volunteer Fire Department. The station reported one of the firefighters involved told investigators he started a fire “so that he could respond as a firefighter.”

The suspects include: Ian Hockenberry, 21, Travis Bailey, 29, and Brett Ray, 20, who are charged with first-degree arson for setting fire to an unoccupied residential structure, said a state press release.

Charles “Chase” Peoples, 19, and Glenn Harman, 20, were also arrested and charged with second-degree arson, for “an abandoned nonresidential structure fire in the Lesage area of Cabell County,” said the release.

All the fires were in early 2018, officials said. Additional charges against the men are expected, said a state release.

WSAZ reported in July that Hockenberry is one of two firefighters who were credited with saving an unconscious woman from a burning home in Barboursville.

TV station WVAH said this week that flares were shot into some of the unoccupied buildings, homes and apartments to spark the fires. Several of the structures were destroyed, the station reported.

All five men were arraigned and released on bond, said the state release.

This story was originally published February 6, 2019 at 10:49 AM.