Trending Topics

Ky. firefighters confess to setting church fire

Two Corinth firefighters were some of the first firefighters on the scene of the Shiloh Full Gospel Church fire

By Christopher Leach
Lexington Herald-Leader

GRANT COUNTY, Ky. — Two Northern Kentucky firefighters have been charged with arson for starting a fire at a church, according to court documents.

Robert Hughes, 23, and Brendan Gibson, 24, are charged with second-degree arson. During the course of an investigation, they confessed to starting the fire at the Shiloh Full Gospel Church in Grant County, according to the documents.

The pair are being held on $10,000 each, according to court records.


Learn how to identify the signs of firefighter arson within your own ranks and the actions fire chiefs can take to mitigate the problem

The incident happened early Monday morning. Court documents say multiple agencies responded to a report of a structure fire and shortly after arrival, personnel from Kentucky State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were requested.

An investigation later determined Hughes and Gibson were responsible for starting the fire, according to court documents. Hughes and Gibson were also some of the first arriving Corinth Fire Department firefighters at the scene.

Hughes and Gibson were interviewed by detectives and confessed to starting the fire, court documents said.


Curbing firefighter arsons is one of the toughest nuts to crack, but here are some steps to get a handle on the problem

Hughes and Gibson were arraigned in Grant District Court on Tuesday, according to court records. A preliminary hearing for both men is scheduled for July 16.

©2024 Lexington Herald-Leader.
Visit kentucky.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trending
The state’s new fire code requires annual inspections for recalled sprinkler heads and property owner notification to local fire departments, addressing a gap exposed by the 2025 Fall River fire that killed 10 residents
Ephrata Chief Jeremy Burns told the city council that EMS needs a sustainable funding source beyond the general fund, floating a voter-approved EMS levy or utility model used in nearby cities
About 180 of 250 Orange County Animal Rescue Team volunteers were on standby with fueled trailers as the Norte fire threatened San Juan Capistrano’s equestrian community, with roughly 300 shelter stalls prepared across the county
All four rural emergency service districts showcased apparatus and fielded questions from residents at “Inside the Firehouse” to explain how tax dollars fund volunteer fire departments outside city limits