Brunswick firefighters confess to setting fires

Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office charged Bobby Harris, 20, and Danny Russel, 18, of Supply’s Volunteer Fire Department and Miranda Garland, 18, of Civietown Volunteer Fire Department with setting woods fires and conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor.

After two witnesses gave sworn statements to the Supply and Civietown Fire Departments, both departments launched an internal investigation.

According to Civietown Fire Department, investigators approached the three volunteers and had confessions within an hour.

Both departments say the volunteers were going out, setting small fires in the county and then coming back to the station to put them out with fellow firefighters.

“We wasted a lot of money,” said Civietown Fire Department assistant chief Mark Hewitt. “A lot of taxpayer money doing the calls that our guys and gals were lighting themselves.”

“So we took it to heart and that’s why we went ahead and proved it,” he said. “And then gave it to the sheriff’s office.”

The two fires were set off of Green Swamp Road and Gilbert Road in Brunswick County.