MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA – A 29-year-old volunteer firefighter out of Pennsylvania is facing numerous charges to include arson regarding three fires he’s accused of setting in late May, with two of the fires he reportedly responded to alongside his fire company to help extinguish.
Justin Sholly, a volunteer firefighter with the Perseverance Fire Company, is facing a litany of charges after authorities out of Montgomery County alleged he was responsible for three separate arson incidents occurring in late May over a 30-hour period.
The first incident reportedly occurred on May 29th, with the Perseverance Volunteer Fire Company being among those to respond at approximately 12:25 a.m. to a pile of logs that were set ablaze along the roadway near the intersection of Forman and Schoolhouse roads in Franconia Township.
Less than four hours later, firefighters responded to the area of Lumber Street and Wile Avenue in Souderton at approximately 4:17 a.m. regarding a fire at a detached garage and barn which reportedly sat 50 feet away from two residential homes located off the 100 block of West Chestnut Street. Authorities say ten people were inside of the two aforementioned homes at the time of the incident.
On May 30th at approximately 4:31 a.m., firefighters responded to a considerably larger fire than the previous two, which involved a barn, three cars, a shed, outhouse and gazebo engulfed in flames near Harleysville Pike and Schoolhouse Road. The abovementioned fire was also reportedly near a residential home off the 800 block of Harleysville Pike where eight people were inside of the home at the time of the incident.
Investigators initially concluded the three fires were intentionally set and likely connected, later reviewing automated license plate readers stationed around the areas of the three fires where authorities discovered a black 2015 Ford Edge, allegedly owned by Sholly, had been travelling near all three locations of the fires before they were set. When investigators went to interview Sholly at his home on May 31st, authorities noted the presence of a black 2015 Ford Edge parked near the residence. Spotted within the vehicle were also wooden logs, a fire-starter log, and a lighter, according to authorities.
Upon interviewing with detectives, Sholly allegedly admitted to starting all three fires, reportedly shedding light on a potential motive in the second fire when reportedly admitting to detectives that a former boss who terminated him lived at a residence along the 100 block of West Chestnut Street in Souderton.
Sholly has since been charged with arson, reckless burning/exploding, criminal trespass, reckless endangerment, and other various charges. A preliminary hearing for the accused is slated for June 10th.
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