Volunteers charged in Christmas Day arson
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Recommend ThisPair of Linden firefighters accused of setting fire to company's storage shed
By M.K. Luther -- mkluther@nvdaily.com
LINDEN -- Two Linden volunteer firefighters are facing arson charges following a Christmas Day blaze, according to the Warren County Fire and Rescue Department.
Linden Fire and Rescue Station volunteer firefighters Darren Russo, 19, of Linden, and Troy Elsea, 18, of Front Royal, were arrested and charged in relation to the Saturday fire at Linden Beverage Co. on Dismal Hollow Road, according to Warren County Fire Chief Richard Mabie.
Russo was arrested Saturday, and is charged with arson. Elsea was arrested Monday and is charged with conspiracy to commit arson, according to Mabie.
On Saturday, fire crews responded to a storage shed fire at 3:15 a.m. After determining the fire was suspicious, the Warren County Department of Fire and Rescue Services' investigator was brought in, according to Mabie.
"We eliminated what we felt were any accidental causes," Mabie said. Crews also detected "the odor of an accelerant," Mabie said.
Both firefighters have been removed from duty, and the arson is still being investigated, according to Mabie. Total damage from the fire was estimated at $500.
Mabie said he believed this was the first firefighter-related arson case in his 15-year career in the county.
In 2009, two New Market Volunteer Fire Department members were arrested and charged following a series of arsons in Shenandoah and Rockingham counties.
The Linden Fire Department held an emergency board meeting and decided the two would be suspended for one year, with further action planned, said its president, Joe McCreary.
"We will not tolerate this at all," McCreary said. "I have several members and we will not tolerate this kind of nonsense at all."
The Linden Volunteer Fire Department has approximately 30-35 active volunteer members, McCreary said.
Russo and Elsea had been members of the Linden Volunteer Fire Department for close to a year, McCreary said, and had shown no performance issues or problems.
"To be perfectly honest with you, they were very active members," McCreary said. "This was a total surprise."
McCreary also said he believed that both firefighters were present at the scene of the fire.
"This was a slap in the face to all the volunteers," McCreary said.
The two volunteers had passed the standard background check required for membership, and had just been made senior members.
"We have a very good department and a good bunch of people, and you have something like this happen and it just kind of knocks everyone down," McCreary said.
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This seem to be a problem with firefigters four members being charged in the last year in the valley .maybe the JUSTICE SYSTEM NEEDS TO HAND OUT SOME HARD PUNISHMENT INSREAD OF A SLAP ON THE WRIST
What was the motivation. Arson is very is very serious.
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