Former firefighter admits to setting church blaze

Former firefighter admits to setting church blaze

January 2, 2005

By CATHARYN CAMPBELL
6 News Reporter

KINGSTON (WATE and AP) -- Authorities say a former Kingston firefighter awaiting trial on arson charges for an alleged October fire has confessed to setting fire to a church in Roane County. Law officers say he may be linked to other suspicious fires.

Saturday, Roane County deputy Randy Scarborough pulled Glen Armes over for speeding not far from the Scarborough Memorial Free Methodist Church.

"His right finger was cut and bleeding pretty bad and I asked him why he was driving so fast and he said was trying to get to the Scott Market gas station to get a Band Aid,"said Scarborough.

The deputy let Armes go.

Minutes later, however, Scarborough got a call about the church fire and went to the scene. He left soon after to try to find Armes. When Scarborough couldn't find Armes, he returned to the church where he discovered Armes observing the blaze.

Harold Hall said he heard the fire engines arrive Saturday morning. He looked outside and saw his church was on fire.

"It was blazing real good," said Hall. "The flames were shooting out of the windows on both sides of the church up in there pretty good, you know."

"There was fire under the pews," said Scarborough. "It looked like someone had used some kind of chemical when they set the fire."

"With his history and his finger was cut and the window was broke, so I went to look for him," explained Scarborough. "I went down to Scott Market where he was supposed to be buying a Band Aid and he wasn't there."

Scarborough said Armes admitted to setting the fire.

Armes is a former captain for the Kingston Fire Department. In October, he was indicted on three counts of arson and released from his job.

He is awaiting trial on charges he burned three abandoned homes in Kingston. Authorities say they believe Armes set the fires because the department chief demoted him and he wanted to prove to the chief he was the better firefighter.

"The reason he believed he set the fire is he couldn't deal with the stress," said the deputy. "He and his wife were both unemployed. He couldn't deal with the stress of not being able to provide for his wife."

The destruction is upsetting for Deputy Scarborough because his great-grandfather helped build the church and now his grandfather serves as pastor. "It hurts because my entire life has been around this church."

Armes is facing various charges, including arson, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. His bond is set at $77,000 and he is being held at the Roane County Jail.

State arson investigators are scheduled to examine the church Monday.

Armes has not been directly linked to other suspected arson fires, including a house next to Scarborough church in May and Friday's fire that destroyed First Christian Church in Oak Ridge, but those fires remain under investigation. [ Oak Ridge church gutted ]

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Portions copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.