ORANGEVILLE, Penn. -- Two volunteer firefighters are behind bars after three fires were set in homes where elderly people lived. One of the suspects was already in trouble with the law.
There is little left of a house near Orangeville which went up in flames early Monday. The elderly couple who lived there is in critical condition. Police said the house on Albertson Road is one of three homes torched by volunteer firefighter Colton Barrett and investigators said he had some help from the fire chief's wife. Both are behind bars.
Police said Barrett was the first Orangeville firefighter to show up at the station to battle the fire that wrecked the home just outside of town Monday morning. Barrett was also the first firefighter to show up a couple hours earlier to fight a fire on the porch of another elderly couple's home nearby. Two months ago Barrett was there to fight the flames at a third elderly man's house near town.
Now Barrett is charged with setting all three and the fire chief's wife, Kristen Strausser is charged with helping him.
"These people that set this house a fire were here watching and fighting this blaze yesterday. This is what we have left," said Stacy Matthews, granddaughter of Rueben and Pauline Albertson. "These people, I have no idea. We don't know them. They're not friends of the family. They're no one we know. We think it's random but totally sad.
"I'm scared to death with these fires. We've had so many of them," said Charlie Morris of Greenwood Township. "It certainly has been a problem and I'm glad they caught them!" said Raymond Wood of Fishing Creek Township.
"I feel very sorry for them. We were very lucky. We ended up very luck. The Lord was with us," said fire victim Anna Margaret Robbins. Police said she is another victim of the arsonists. Her house is being repaired. The fire happened two hours before the one at the Albertson's home but the Robbins were able to out quickly.
The first fire the two are charged with was in March at a home just outside Orangeville. It's still being repaired and was within just a few miles to the two arsons this week.
"I can't figure why anyone would do such a thing," Robbins added.
Many people in the Orangeville area already knew of Colton Barrett. He just pleaded guilty last week to stealing equipment from several volunteer fire companies. He was out on bail awaiting sentencing but was still a firefighter.
Police said Barrett admits he and Strausser targeted the homes of the elderly.
Reuben and Pauline Albertson are in critical condition from the latest arson but investigators said it could be worse.
"There was the potential for disaster, the potential for homicide with the people in the residence or any residence in the middle of the night," said Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Robert Bartal.
It's not over yet. The arsons are among seven suspicious fires around Orangeville recently.
"Certainly our concern was to get him off the street once we had that specific information but we have several investigations that are ongoing and we certainly anticipate more charges," Bartal added.
Police don't know why Barrett and Strausser targeted the homes. One theory is that Barrett wanted to look like a hero rescuing the elderly victims.
As for Strausser, she is only charged with one of the arsons but in court papers she is implicated in all three.
Republished with permission of WNEP-TV.
