By Maddie Hanna
The Concord Monitor
MADISON, N.H. — A former Madison firefighter has been arrested in connection with a suspicious fire in Eaton, and fire officials say more charges are coming related to the dozen other fires under investigation in the Madison area.
John R. Colcord was arrested following an investigation by the state fire marshal’s office, which said yesterday that it had identified a suspect believed to be responsible for 13 recent structure and brush fires in the towns of Madison, Eaton and Freedom.
Colcord was only charged in connection with one fire, which happened on Glines Hill Road in Eaton, the fire marshal’s office said. But “future charges and arrests will be forthcoming for the other related fires,” the office said in a statement.
A message left with the fire marshal’s office was not returned yesterday afternoon.
Madison fire Chief Rick Judkins said Colcord is young, possibly 18, and had been a firefighter with the volunteer department for no more than two years. He left the department within the past month, Judkins said. He said he couldn’t comment on whether Colcord was fired.
The string of fires earlier this summer in Madison ranged from a series of small brush fires to burned-down barns, worrying some residents that an arsonist was to blame.
Now that a former firefighter is suspected of setting the fires, “I’m hearing a lot of emotion from different people,” Judkins said. “It’s a shock. It’s very disappointing.”
But Judkins said he’s focused on the future. “I think the biggest thing is, there are 23 other people who serve this community, 24 hours a day,” he said. “We’re not going to let our organization be defined by the actions of this individual, and we’re just going to go forward.”
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