Firefighter indicted, accused of setting eight fires

QUITMAN – A Wood County firefighter charged with eight counts of arson has been indicted by a grand jury. According to our news partner KETK, Mineola native Courtney Keel worked for the Hainesville Volunteer Fire Department. Chief Robert Holland with the sheriff’s office began investigating fires that the department had worked. Holland alleged Keel possibly started fires that happened over a 15-month period from the summer of 2020 to the fall of 2021. The eight fires were within two miles of Keel’s house. According to an arrest warrant, he was the only firefighter to respond to all of them. The warrant also states there was video of him driving away from a fire in July 2020 and that no other car was in the immediate area.

On another occasion, there were flares found at the scene of a fire and Keel allegedly told Holland he was worried his fingerprints may have been on them. When asked why, Keel said his uncle “was a bad man” and would come after him.