Volunteer Firefighter Charged In Several Arsons

CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) -- Authorities say a volunteer firefighter from Cumberland has been charged with setting several fires in the city.

The State Fire Marshal's Office announced Wednesday that 23-year-old Patrick Kneisley has been charged with numerous offenses including four counts of second-degree arson. The office says Kneisley has confessed to setting six fires.

The first was set on Oct. 1, and the most recent were two fires set Wednesday morning. The fires were started in storage containers, brush, trash cans, a garage and a vehicle. Authorities say there is no clear motive for the arsons.

Kneisley is a member of the Baltimore Pike Volunteer Fire Department and has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

His home phone number is unlisted, and no attorney was listed for him in court records.

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