Nov 1, 2002 By April Straughters 5 min read

An attorney for the Isabella Volunteer Fire Department complained Thursday that an investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms into the two arson fires that ultimately destroyed the department’s social hall seems to be only focused on the department’s firefighters. On June 26 and June 30 two separate confirmed arson fires destroyed the Isabella VFD social hall and an antique fire engine located in the basement garage.

Attorney Philip Fabiano said, although he has not spoken to ATF investigators, based on information he has received from firefighters questioned, the ATF seems to be focusing their investigation on the department.

“The ATF didn’t speak to me, but the perception of the firefighters is they are the targets and the only targets in the investigation,” Fabiano said. “Now, they may have other people in their sights and I hope they do, because the motives that we’ve heard don’t seem to hold water.”

Uniontown State Police Fire Marshal William Large confirmed that the two fires were ruled arsons.

Luzerne Township Lt. Roy Mehalik said township police handled the initial investigation and turned over names of several possible suspects to the state police fire marshal.

An ATF spokesmen declined comment.

Fabiano said the ATF has seized department records, computer disks and minutes to meetings. He said the ATF has interviewed firefighters and people in the Isabella community.

Based on those interviews, Fabiano said ATF investigators so far seem to have based their investigation primarily on two possible motives and two accusations, both of which he disagrees with.

The first motive, he said investigators have brought up in interviews, is the “obvious” – the fire was started by someone within the department in hopes to collect insurance money.

Fabiano said the department recently increased their insurance with Selective Insurance Group of New Jersey about six months before the fires at the recommendation of their insurance salesman.

“What usually is the motive of someone who burns their own property? They need money, have a big debt or financial obligation that needs to be met,” Fabiano said.

But Fabiano says the Isabella VFD does not have any “great” financial debts great enough to warrant such desperate measures.

“The fire department is poor and they have small debts, but nothing significant, nothing that they couldn’t’ retire in one weekend,” he said. “Now, you have to look at other motives.”

Fabiano said the next motive was the fire department was jealous of the other local fire departments in neighboring communities who have newer fire halls.

But Fabiano said the department members loved their old social hall. He said the building, which was built in 1900, has been the pride of firefighters there from generation to generation.

Fire Chief Steve Dugan declined comment. But in an interview following the June 30 fire, Mildred Dugan said her father has been with the department more than 40 years, serving as fire chief starting when he was 22 years old. Steve Dugan, the present fire chief, is his son.

He said the social hall is also the center of community activities.

“That hall was very important to those folks. They loved the building, they wouldn’t want to destroy it,” Fabiano said.

Fabiano said some of the accusations that have been circulating and brought up during questioning is that the firefighters did not enthusiastically fight the fire and that they somehow manipulated the water supply.

Fabiano said those two accusations are “ludicrous.”

He said a firefighter was injured in the June 30 fire and that in order for anyone, according to information he received from the water authority, to manipulate the water supply they would have to “bleed 5 million gallons of water” from the 14-inch main line into Isabella.

In the June 30 fire, low water supplies in hydrants forced firefighters to bring in water in tanker trucks.

Fabiano admits there have been occasions when firebugs are found to be members of a fire department, but he said this is an unusual case because in this circumstance the fire was set within a fire truck kept in the basement garage.

The department’s first fire truck, an antique used for shows, and a 1980 Chevrolet pumper no longer used by the department were destroyed in the fire.

“Part of the excitement for these firebugs within the company is to show off, ride in the truck to fight the fire. In one of the fires the fire started in the fire truck, that doesn’t make sense. And why would they want to burn their own social hall where they earn their money.”

“In a time in this country when firefighters are held in high esteem, these firefighters are in low morale and that shouldn’t be,” Fabiano said.

“When I initially talked to these guys, their biggest concern was their fire whistle, they asked if I could help them to at least get their whistle replaced so they could respond to fires.”

The fires that claimed the social hall were not the only recent arsons in the area. According to Mehalik, also ruled as arsons were a May 8 fire at Old Kendall Farm on Heisterburg Road; a May 31 fire at a mobile home on Heisterburg Road; and a July 13 fire at a mobile home on Isabella Road.

Mehalik said people did occupy the two mobile homes, but no one was home at the time of the fire.

Fabiano says the adjacent building next to the social hall that houses the fire trucks is still standing. He said the department continues to hold regular bingo games there and that is the building where local residents will vote in the upcoming election.

“Eighty percent of their funds come from fund-raising and they are still at it even now when their morale is low.”