Valley firefighter arrested on arson charges

PARKE CO., Ind. (WTHI) - Patches of scorched earth are all that remain from 6 brushfires which ignited near Raccoon Lake in Parke County between Wednesday and Friday. A man who helped fight those fires is now accused of starting them shocking people like Ron Medenwald who lives nearby.

"Oh, my goodness!" Medenwald said when he heard the news.

Cory Keeling, 25, was arrested Friday evening. He's a volunteer firefighter with the Bellmore Fire Department. There's a sad note of irony as the shirt he wore when he got his mug shot taken reads "You can't scare me, I'm a firefighter."

"It's very heartbreaking that the local citizens rely on that person to respond," said Bellmore Volunteer Fire Chief Jason Games. "It's devastating."

Keeling's home near Raccoon Lake has all the markings of a loyal and dedicated volunteer. A sign in the yard reads 'Firefighter Parking Only. It sits one-half mile from 2 of the most recent fires.

Keeling's fellow volunteer firefighters got suspicious after a bystander saw a car and driver which matched Keeling's description.

"They tend to graduate to bigger and better things so we're glad we got this taken care of now before it got out of hand," said Chief Games.

In fact, one of the last reported fires was at the base of a driveway, just 40 yards or so from a home.

"We were fortunate these fires were put out before they became very serious or endangered somebody's life," said Parke County Sheriff Mike Eslinger.

Keeling had been a member of the department since March of 2009. He passed a background check, an oral interview and got his mandatory firefighter certification.

The Bellmore department has started their own investigation of past brushfires to see if Keeling can be connected to any others.

Medenwald lives a short distance from one of the patches of burned ground. With a burn ban in effect for the county, he's thankful it's not any worse.

"It could have spread," said Medenwald. "This is all wooded area, and it could have been major."

Keeling faces 6 counts of arson, including 2 from last year. Sheriff's Deputies said Keeling has admitted to setting four of the fires from the past week.

Keeling's first appearance in court is scheduled for Monday.