Three volunteer firefighters are facing charges of arson, after a series of fires were set in Guadalupe County.
Terrance Cooksey, 36, Jeffrey Schauble, 26, and Christopher Zigalo, 25, were arrested on charges of arson and engaging in organized criminal activity.
The three are accused of setting 10 fires and attempting to set three others in the Marion area of Guadalupe County between April to July of this year.
One resident told KSAT on Tuesday what was even more shocking to her is the fact that the men accused of starting the fires were all members or prospective members of the Marion Volunteer Fire Department.
"That's real scary to know that your volunteer firefighters would set fires intentionally," he said.
Guadalupe County Fire Marshal Kelly Kistner said on the night of June 27, a fire was set to a field and the person that called to report it was later identified as one of the three suspects.
"That person who called it in was one of the suspects," said Kistner. "So as we interviewed them, we gained more information that they had actually set the fire, per the statements that they made to us and from there, more than one of them admitted to setting other fires."
Kistner said no one was hurt in the 10 fires that were set, but that it could have been much worse.
"Any time we have a fire, and the fire department has to respond, firefighters are put into a natural position of danger, just by what they do," said Kistner.
All three suspects have since been released on bond.
3 Volunteer Firefighters Arrested In Series Of Arsons
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