Muskogee County Volunteer Firefighter Charged With Arson

A Green Country firefighter is behind bars after investigators said he admitted to setting several fires in Muskogee County.

Dustin Davis is a Boynton volunteer firefighter.

He turned himself in today and was booked into the Muskogee County jail on one charge of third degree arson.

8/3/2012 Related Story: Boynton Volunteer Firefighter Admits To Arson, Investigators Say

Muskogee County Sheriff Charles Pearson said random fires have been popping up near Boynton over the past few weeks.

"Based on the way the fires were set, it just looked like a firefighter," said Pearson.

He said the fires were strategically set near lakes so that fire crews would have plenty of water to put them out.

Pearson said volunteer firefighter Dustin Davis would often report fires to the department's chief.

The chief told Davis to call dispatch so the calls could be recorded.

This is a transcript of a call that investigators said led them to Davis.

Man: "I'd like to report a fire near Boynton."
Dispatch: "Where is it located?"
Man: "It's on the southwest side of Boynton, ma'am."
Dispatch: "Southwest side of Boynton? You don't know what road or anything?"
Man: "No, ma'am. I'm not from here. I don't know the roads."
Dispatch: "What is your name?"
Man: "Um, Michael _____."

Pearson said, "We did a voice comparison. There's no doubt that's him and the moment I confronted him with it, he admitted that was him and that he didn't want to give his name for a certain reason."

Davis served in the Marine Corps.

Investigators believe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder may have led Davis to set the fires.

"The main reason is the camaraderie of being with the guys and working with the guys and being important," Pearson said. "Something he's missing from the military."

Although Pearson said he believes Davis didn't mean any harm, he said these actions were still very dangerous.

"We're out here in this heat right now, and if one of these firefighters drops dead in these 105-degree temperatures, he's responsible for that death," Pearson said.

Pearson said Davis could face seven more arson charges.

Sheriff Pearson said there are other fires in the county that he believes were arson that aren't related to Davis.

He said they are close to making an arrest on those cases as well.