Explosive suspicion

19-year-old firefighter allegedly the firebug

This barn on the town square of Feldkirchen an der Donau (Upper Austria) had burnt down completely on Saturday night.(Bild: FF Bad Mühllacken)

A young woman from Mühlviertel had already been given a second chance by the justice system after setting fires three years ago. However, this is unlikely to have reformed her, as the woman is once again the main suspect in a new series of fires. The 19-year-old is also said to have extinguished the fires herself.

"The news that the suspect could be one of them is of course very bad news for the firefighters involved. We support our comrades wherever we can" - the Upper Austrian fire brigade command has often had to deal with black sheep in its own ranks, so they know what to do.

Eyewitnesses saw them nearby
This is also the case in the series of fires in Feldkirchen and Goldwörth: the 19-year-old main suspect is a female firefighter. As public prosecutor Reinhard Huemer-Steiner confirmed, the suspect had been seen in the vicinity before the fires.

And she was always there to extinguish the fires and had reported one fire - two piles of wood and two barns were burning - herself. "She denies everything", according to the judiciary, who are now hoping for conclusive evidence from the cell phone analysis and examination of the young woman's seized clothing.

Exclusion after a conviction
"In such cases, the Fire Service Act specifies exactly what happens. During criminal proceedings, a suspension is pronounced, if there is a conviction, expulsion from the fire department follows," explains Markus Voglhuber from the Upper Austrian Fire Service Command. Nothing has yet been initiated because there is only a suspicion and no official criminal proceedings.

An outbuilding caught fire in Goldwörth on Monday night.(Bild: TEAM FOTOKERSCHI / MARTIN SCHARINGER)

Got away with diversion
The suspected firefighter, who is presumed innocent, was given a second chance after - as reported - taking responsibility for a series of fires in Feldkirchen three years ago and getting away with a diversion and therefore no criminal record.

"The fire department is a place where people who are in difficult personal situations can find support and a meaningful activity," said Floriani, explaining the social role of the fire department, which has almost 96,000 members in Upper Austria. "You can't look into anyone."

While the investigation is still ongoing, a fire alarm went off at the Lacken fire station (municipality of Feldkirchen/Donau) on Wednesday night - this time it was a false alarm.