West Virginia Volunteer Charged With Arson

Jan. 18, 2006
Firefighters say they had no idea

Investigators say Shingleton set three fires: the first, on May 25th, at the City Window building in Summit Park.

The fire destroyed a large part of the building, and injured a firefighter. Nathen Goff fell 18 feet, injuring his neck and ribs.

The second fire happened on July 25th, in the shed behind the Summit Park Volunteer Fire Department. And just last Monday, a third fire broke out, this time, inside the building. Now, investigators say Summit Park Volunteer Firefighter, John Shingleton, started all three.

"Everybody was more or less devastated. Disbelieving," says fire chief Brenda Fragmin.

Fragmin says she's known Shingleton since he was a baby. He was a trusted member of the department, in fact, he lived there.

"He went to church, and loved his family. The fire department was what he loved to do," Fragmin says. "We were just a dumbfounded as everyone else. We had no clue."

On Monday night, the department held an emergency meeting. They wrote a statement for the media. saying the department has taken disciplinary action against Shingleton, by releasing him of his duties.

Fragmin says, she's lost a good firefighter, and a friend.

"It was a hard thing to relieve him, she says, "But that's what had to be done."

Fragmin says the main thing she wants to get across is that Shingleton is only ONE person out of 14 active firefighters. She doesn't want his arrest to reflect on the her department as a whole.

Meantime, Shingleton faces two counts of first degree arson, and one count of second degree arson.

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