Pocono News Section

Alleged Central PA Arsonist Caught

Alleged Central PA Arsonist Caught - Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 5:31PM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Thursday, Apr 17, 2008 @ 05:31pm EST
Danville, Montour County-

In Central Pennsylvania, officials say they’ve caught the man who allegedly set dozens of barn and brush fires.

According to police, it was 52-year-old Charles Cypher of Danville, a volunteer firefighter with the Washingtonville Fire Department, who allegedly set the fires, and even responded to some of them.

Authorities say continued surveillance and teamwork from several departments in multiple counties led to Wednesday's arrest. Montour County D. A. Robert Buehner said, "Mr. Cyphers was apprehended by two state troopers, Corporal McGarry and Trooper Beaver, as he as starting a fire, or actually had the fire underway."

According to arrest papers, Cyphers faces a total of 37 charges, including aggravated assault, arson related offenses, and more, stemming from the 8 incidents for which he is being charged. Cyphers claims to have set as many as 20-25 total fires.

Wayne Hawley, a member of the Warrior Run Fire Department, was injured fighting one of those blazes back in November. He is currently paralyzed from the waist down. Warrior Run Fire Chief Mark Burrows explained, "He is progressing. He's still at the Magee Rehabilitation Center, targeting now another two months hopefully to have him home in June."

Burrows says he hopes Cyphers alleged crimes won't taint the reputation of dedicated local firefighters. "Knowing what capacity he held in the community as a volunteer firefighter is very disturbing...I hope that the firefighting community is not held in the same regard as one individual," Burrows added.

Montour County District Attorney Robert Buehner says the investigation will continue into Cypher's possible involvement in other suspicious fires. Although Cypher allegedly set fires in three or four different counties, Buehner will handle the entire prosecution.