The four, who are members of the Coteau Volunteer Fire Department, were arrested Monday and booked with simple arson. They were identified as Martin LeBlanc, 18, Joshua Bourque, 17, Dustin LeBouef, 17, and a 16-year-old juvenile whose name was not made public because of his age.
Deputy State Fire Marshal Erik Feller said a warrant also was issued for a fifth person, a former member of the department.
Feller said the arrests stemmed from four fires, including three over the past five weeks. He said the men were caught following the most recent fire on July 23, when 15 bales of hay caught fire in Coteau.
``When the first fire engine arrived on scene, the juvenile told one of the paid firefighters it took two times to get the fire going,'' Feller said.
The other fires involved bales of hay and two abandoned houses.
``They said they were bored, and they were looking for some action,'' Feller said. ``It's not very often, but we do see that every now and then where firefighters are setting them.''
Fire Chief Sam Bird said junior firefighters range from 14 to 18 years of age and are primarily support personnel.
``They don't actually fight fires,'' he said. ``The ironic thing was they said they wanted some action, but all they can really do is stand around and watch.''
