Volunteer firefighter charged with setting blazes

WAVERLY, Tenn. (AP) — A volunteer firefighter in Tennessee has been charged with setting blazes that damaged multiple structures, authorities said.

Leslie Roy Winchester, 19, was arrested Saturday after officials obtained warrants charging him with aggravated arson, arson, trespassing and vandalism, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

The fires were set between July 1 and July 8 at various locations in Waverly and damaged or destroyed buildings including a church, a masonic lodge, a former fire hall and a vacant house, the statement said.

Winchester was a volunteer firefighter in Humphreys County and confessed to setting the blazes, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis told news outlets. Investigators believe he helped fight some of the fires he started, Davis said.

Winchester was being held in the Humphreys County Jail on a $1.7 million bond, officials said. It wasn't immediately clear whether he has an attorney.