Community Risk

Two Charged with Torching Pa. Fire Training Tower

Aug. 7, 2013

Fires were set on three floors of Perry Hi-Way Hose Company's training tower in May.

Source Erie Times-News, Pa.

Aug. 07--State police have charged a Summit Township man and a teenage boy with burning up the components of a volunteer fire department training facility.

Richard S. Decker, 20, and a 16-year-old boy are accused of intentionally setting fires on three floors of the Perry Hi-Way Hose Co.'s "non-burn" training tower on May 14.

The tower, which is near the department's station on Robison Road, is used by Perry Hi-Way and other area fire departments for training on search and rescue, high-rise fires, rope rescue and other incidents, Perry Hi-Way Chief Kip Hayford said Tuesday afternoon. The building is concrete, but the fire damaged items inside, he said.

State police accuse Decker and the boy of intentionally starting fires on the first, second and fourth floors of the tower, causing more than $6,000 in damage. Police said Hayford smelled smoke and discovered the fires on the morning of May 14, according to the criminal complaint filed against Decker.

A state police fire marshal was summoned to the building, and "it became clear accelerants were used to start the fires," Trooper Gregory Lenz wrote in the complaint.

An investigation led police to Decker and the juvenile, Lenz wrote in the complaint.

Decker, of Applewood Road, was arraigned Tuesday by Summit Township District Judge Brian McGowan on felony counts of arson, conspiracy to commit arson, criminal mischief and institutional vandalism. He was released on $5,000 unsecured bond.

The boy will face charges in Erie County Juvenile Court, Lenz said.

Hayford said firefighters from his department and some neighboring departments cleaned up the building after the fire and have it back in use. They have added extra security to the structure, he said.

Hayford credited the state police with identifying and charging those responsible for the blaze.

"We're very pleased with the outcome," he said.

TIM HAHN can be reached at 870-1731 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNhahn.