A 32-year-old Montague firefighter was arrested on Oct. 21 on a complaint of arson in connection with allegedly setting a fire out in the county a week earlier.
Jack Lawson, chief deputy for the Montague County Sheriff’s office, said Jonathon Scott Templeton was arrested Oct. 21 in the case. The complaint is for arson, a second degree felony. He was released from jail on $45,000 in bond on Monday.
Sgt. Aaron Brandle and Sgt. Andrew Miller were the primary investigators in the case, which centered on a fire on Woodland School Road on Oct. 13.
Lawson explained the fire started and the deputies were on the scene after it was put out and there did not appear to be any real material to cause a rekindle. However, later that day an anonymous 911 call came in from someone called John, who said the fire had rekindled. The fire department personnel responded, but they also agreed the fire should not have rekindled and the direction of the fire indicated it was separate. Templeton is a member of the Montague VFD.
“The investigators brought Templeton in to talk with him and he appeared to know a lot about the fires. He finally admitted to it, but this case is still under investigation because often in these cases there are other fires,” explained Lawson.