Louisiana man, paid by the call to fight fires, arrested for setting 6 blazes

BATON ROUGE, La. — A Jonesboro man, who was a volunteer firefighter paid up to $25 per call, has been accused of setting six fires in the woods of Jackson Parish during 2010 and 2011.

Justin L. Murphy, 22, was arrested Friday, the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry said in a news release. He is charged with six counts of simple arson.

Although considered a volunteer for the Jonesboro Fire Department, Murphy was paid $10 for every call to a grass fire and $25 for every call to a woods fire, according to the news release.

"The arrest was made following an interview Thursday in which Murphy was questioned as a 'person of interest' about the Liberty Hill fire in Bienville Parish Tuesday that burned approximately 800 acres," the news release said. "The fire destroyed one home and threatened several others, including a train that contained numerous tanks filled with hazardous chemicals."

Read more: http://www.nola.com/crime/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2015/10/louisiana_man_paid_by_the_call.html#incart_river_home