Probe of 6 Blazes Widens Beyond Riverdale Station

Montgomery Firefighter Is Included

An investigation into whether volunteer firefighters set six blazes in vacant homes in Prince George's County extends beyond the Riverdale fire station and includes a Montgomery County career firefighter, according to two sources familiar with the probe.

The Montgomery firefighter is a volunteer at the Riverdale station and is among a handful of volunteer firefighters who have been suspended, the sources said.

Five to 10 volunteer firefighters from different stations in Prince George's are under suspicion, one of the sources said. Some have been questioned by investigators, the two sources said.

The two sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

The investigation was initially reported by WUSA (Channel 9).

It is being led by arson investigators from the Prince George's County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. They are being assisted by investigators with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, authorities said.

The first of the suspicious fires was set Feb. 14, and the most recent was set March 29, officials said. The fires were set in vacant homes in various neighborhoods, including Riverdale, Beltsville, Chapel Oaks and Fort Washington. No one was injured in them.

Some of the torched homes were for sale, and others were slated for demolition. The amount of property damage in the fires ranges from zero to about $200,000, said Mark Brady, spokesman for the Prince George's fire department.

It is common for career firefighters to volunteer in other jurisdictions, said Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the Montgomery fire department.

"Should it be found that anyone from Montgomery County is associated in any way with these activities, appropriate action will be taken," Piringer said.

Efforts to reach the chief of the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department station in Riverdale Park have been unsuccessful. A message left for the chief at the fire station yesterday was not immediately returned.