March 26--SHICKSHINNY -- What started with gossip that spread like wildfire ended in heartbreak for the borough's volunteer fire company.
Shickshinny Fire Chief Kevin Morris first heard that one of his firefighters was being questioned by state police about intentionally setting fires through the small town's busy rumor mill.
On Tuesday, the young firefighter was arrested, a situation Morris and his wife Holly, who serves as the fire company treasurer, described as "heartbreaking."
Corey Michael Davis, 20, is charged with six counts of arson, including two counts each of recklessly endangering an inhabited building and causing danger of death or bodily injury.
According to state police, Davis intentionally set two separate fires at 28 Italy St. in Mocanaqua, the vacant half of a duplex belonging to Frank Betshline of Stillwater, on Jan. 31. Davis was arrested Tuesday.
"It's a sad day for Shickshinny Volunteer Fire and Rescue," Kevin Morris said at a press conference Tuesday following a meeting during which fire company members unanimously voted to suspend Davis pending the outcome of his hearing.
The Morrises, assistant Chief Adam Bach and member Crystal Bach apologized to residents of Shickshinny and Mayor Beverly Moore on behalf of the fire department "for bringing this burden onto our borough." Davis was one of the department's 15 active members for about a year.
"I will not speak on behalf of the suspect's character, only to say, he was a good firefighter and he was a good member of this company," Kevin Morris said.
He said the department does background checks, mainly looking for things like arrests for arson, turning in false alarms, child abuse or anything else related to children, and major theft. No red flags popped up for Davis.
"(It's) something we're obviously very careful about --because this is a fire chief's worst nightmare, a situation like this," Kevin Morris said. "So we do kind of police each other and watch out for things, and there was no indication he was this kind of individual."
When state police began questioning Davis, he voluntarily stepped down and turned in his equipment, Kevin Morris said.
"I heard about it probably the day before, in what I call the 'coffee shop talk,' the rumor mill," Kevin Morris said. "And then he came to me the next day and talked with me."
He said the Shickshinny fire department does not condone arson and will cooperate "100 percent" with state police in the ongoing investigation.
Davis was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker and lodged in Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of 10 percent of $50,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. April 2 in front of Magisterial District Judge John E. Hasay.
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Copyright 2014 - The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
