WHITEFISH TWP. (WWJ) – A volunteer firefighter in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is facing charges after being arrested while fighting a fire — one that he allegedly set himself.
Joseph Halder, 35, was arrested Saturday while fighting a fire with the Whitefish Township Fire Department at a former gift shop building in downtown Paradise, Mich. — a small tourist town considered "the gateway" to Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office says dispatch got several 911 calls reporting the fire Saturday evening and the Whitefish Twp. Fire Department was called out to the scene of the blaze, which officials say was the third structure fire in the area in recent months.
Thanks to the help of surveillance video from a gas station across the street, investigators were quick to identify the suspect and soon discovered evidence of arson.
Halder was then arrested while he was fighting the fire, according to a report from 9 and 10 News.
Halder, who is now considered a person of interest in the other two fires in the area, was arraigned Monday on one count of arson and given a $200,000 bond.
"Chippewa County has amazing first responders, EMS and firefighters. This does not represent the overall volunteer group we have in our county. Then again, if there is somebody posing in amongst those who are there to do good, you have to get those people out," Sheriff Mike Bitnar told 9 and 10 News.
While the extent of the damage to the gift shop building was not clear, the sheriff's office said fire crews were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighboring buildings.
