Maine Firefighter Charged With Arson

A PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE, PAID-ON-CALL firefighter was arrested Sunday and charged with setting a warehouse fire in the city center last Friday night. Timothy McFarline, 23, was charged after evidence on the scene and witness statements led to him.

The warehouse was owned by the Northeast Packaging Co. and contained rolls of paper and drums of ink and solvents. When the Presque Isle FD arrived on the scene just one block off of Main St. they found the back of the building ablaze and the fire already into the roof of the 150-ft. by 300-ft. structure.

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Presque Isle FD photo

The FD concentrated on keeping the fire away from the solvent drums and a large propane tank inside while they were assisted by six other fire departments on the job that lasted 13 hours. The building was a total loss. (See the Bangor Daily News for the report on the fire HERE.)

McFarline was also an employee of the packaging company. Presque Isle Fire Chief Darrell White told WCSH-TV, “The department conducts a background and reference checks as a standard procedure on all potential call firefighters before they are hired. There were no indications of any concerns in hiring him as a call firefighter. After his arrest, he was suspended from the department pending further investigation.” He was released on $5,000 bond earlier today and is scheduled to be in Aroostook County Superior Court in Caribou on January 21.