3 Bell County volunteer firefighters charged with arson

BELL COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) — Three Bell County volunteer firefighters were arrested last week and accused of arson in a June 2022 fire on Balkan Road in Pineville.

According to WRIL, two men and a juvenile allegedly purposefully set a structure on fire on June 23, 2022. Shortly after the fire was set, Bell County Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene and put the fire out.

Jacob Hobbs, 19, Andrew Johnson, 18, and a juvenile were arrested on Jan. 12, 2023, and are charged with arson – third degree.

Hobbs and Johnson were lodged in the Bell County Detention Center but have since been released on bond, WRIL said. The juvenile is still in custody in Breathitt County.

BCFVD chief Tim Howard says he can’t comment on an ongoing investigation, WRIL added.