A 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein County volunteer firefighter intentionally set three fires in 30 hours, including one near the home of his former boss, who fired him, and then went to the scene of two of the fires with his fire company, investigators said.
Justin Sholly29, of Souderton, Pennsylvania, is charged with arson, reckless burning or explosion, criminal trespass, recklessly endangering the life of another person and other related crimes.
The investigation began on May 29 at 12:25 a.m., when the Perseverance Volunteer Fire Company responded to the intersection of Forman and Schoolhouse roads in Franconia Township, where a pile of wood had caught fire near the road, NBC reported.
Later that morning, at 4:17 am, firefighters responded to a fire in a detached garage and barn at the intersection of Poke and Wile streets, about 50 feet from two homes at 100 West Chestnut Street in Souderton. Police reported that ten people were inside the two homes at the time of the fire.
The next morning, May 30 at 4:31 a.m., firefighters responded to a large structure fire in the area of Harleysville Pike and Schoolhouse Avenue in Franconia Township. Upon arrival, they found a barn, three vehicles, a shed, an outhouse and a gazebo on fire. The fires broke out near a home at 800 Harleysville Pike, where eight people were located.
Investigators, including the Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal, determined that all three incidents were related and that all the fires were intentionally set.
Investigators then analyzed databases of automatic license plate readers in the area of the three fires. They observed a black 2015 Ford Edge driving near all of the fire sites between the night of May 28 and the morning of May 30, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators identified Justin Sholly, a volunteer firefighter with the Perseverance Fire Company, as the owner of the vehicle.
They also obtained surveillance video showing Sholly driving his Ford Edge into the Perseverance Fire Company parking lot on May 30, around 4:25 a.m., just minutes before firefighters responded to fires in Franconia Township, according to the criminal complaint.
Upon arriving at Sholly’s home on Penn Avenue in Souderton for questioning on May 31, investigators saw the 2015 Ford Edge parked nearby, according to the criminal complaint. Also They found a fire starter in the trunkfirewood behind the driver’s seat and a lighter in the front passenger seat.
During an interview with detectives, Sholly allegedly admitted to having started the three fires. According to the criminal complaint, Sholly also claimed that his former boss, who fired him in 2025, lived at 100 West Chestnut Avenue in Souderton, near the second fire he set.
Sholly was arrested that same day and taken to the Pennsylvania State Police station in Skippack. He is currently being held at the 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein County Jail for inability to post bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2026.
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