Former Candia firefighter linked to arson, unsolved fires

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:47:00 GMT

BY TOBY HENRY

A former local firefighter has been linked to unsolved fires and an alleged arson attempt dating back three years.

Flint Road resident Christopher Millspaugh, 21, was initially arrested in May for a fire which reportedly destroyed more than $100,000 worth of logging equipment belonging to an area logging firm.

According to documents, Millspaugh has allegedly been involved in two fires and one arson attempt in town as well as leak of propane gas at the Hillcrest Apartment complex.

An indictment list released by Rockingham Superior Court indicates he is facing four felony and three misdemeanor charges that claim his involvement in incidents dating back to August of 2005.

Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams said on Sept. 11 that he could not discuss how investigators linked Millspaugh to the fires, which took place prior to the May incident. That fire was the most destructive of the incidents Millspaugh is charged with being involved in, and it destroyed two large self-propelled pieces of lumber equipment that were involved in a town-authorized wood-clearing project on a parcel abutting his Flint Road residence.

A Candia District Court affidavit states Millspaugh told police he found the fire after glimpsing an “orange glow” in the woods near his home. Documents state that Millspaugh allegedly gave a “detailed confession” less than a week after the fire and reportedly admitted to having started it with self-igniting road flares.

Documents allege that Millspaugh is also accused of having told a local youth to “cause a leak of propane gas” at the 24-unit Hillcrest Apartments on Old Candia Road on Aug. 11, 2005. The minor was 15 at the time of the incident, and a barbecue grill propane tank was reportedly found to be opened and leaking propane.

No fire was reported in that incident. The next allegation is dated about a year later when a large brush fire was extinguished in a house foundation on Flint Road in July 2006, and Millspaugh is also charged with an attempted arson that was reported a month later at the Candia Woods Golf Links.

In the early morning hours of Aug. 14, 2006, officers Kevin Cashman and Kevin Bowen were conducting a routine check of local businesses when they found a fire-starter log lying against the beam of a maintenance shed. The flames were extinguished before significant damage occurred.

In total, Millspaugh faces two arson charges, one attempted arson charge and a charge of reckless conduct as well as misdemeanor counts for endangering the welfare of a minor, arson and reckless conduct.

Shortly after the May incident and Millspaugh’s subsequent arrest, Fire Chief Rudy Cartier said the situation had been a “devastating” one for his small close-knit volunteer department. Select Board Chairman Fred Kelley echoed a similar sentiment after being informed of the additional charges against Millspaugh, who had been hailed earlier as a dedicated young firefighter who had joined the department as a Junior Fire Explorer at only 14. “It’s really taken the wind out of my sails. Very sad,” Kelley said.

Candia firefighter charged with arson

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:09:00 GMT

BY TOBY HENRY

Court documents say a 21-year-old local firefighter charged with two felony counts of arson admitted to police that he set the blaze which destroyed $125,000 worth of logging equipment.

Christopher Millspaugh, a Flint Road resident, was arrested and arraigned on May 21 following a weeklong investigation into the May 14 fire which destroyed logging equipment belonging to the Brookfield-based firm Moose Mountain Logging. At his arraignment, Millspaugh was released after posting $5,000 cash bail.

Fire Chief Rudy Cartier said Millspaugh had started his time with the Candia Volunteer Fire Department as a 14-year-old Fire Explorer, later becoming a fullfledged member at age 18.

The young man was placed on administrative leave shortly after his arrest, and Cartier said the entire department is “shocked and saddened” by the recent events.

Cartier said he met with Millspaugh briefly to explain the administrative leave process. “He seemed OK about it,” said Cartier. “I basically told him that we’ll wait and see what happens and how the process goes through. Everybody has kind of been in a state of shock over this. It’s not something you expect or want to happen. The department is kind of a big family ... and it’s nice to see everybody pulling together.”

According to police, two Candia officers reporting to the fire off Flint Road found Millspaugh, who lives nearby, in fire protective gear at the scene. Under questioning, Millspaugh allegedly told investigators that he could smell “the odor of burning plastic” shortly after coming home at about 12:15 a.m., and that he could see an “orange glow” coming from the woods.

Court documents state that there were early indicators that indicated the fire may have been arson, and the remains of what appeared to be a self-igniting road flare were found near one piece of burned equipment. Later that morning, investigators from the state Fire Marshal’s office investigated and determined the fires had probably been set intentionally.

An affidavit states that “Millspaugh had changed his account of how he found the fire” during a May 20 interview, and state investigators asked him to be honest about what had happened.

He allegedly then “provided a detailed confession” and admitted using road flares and rags to set the fires.

Officials said Millspaugh was in good standing as a firefighter at the time of his arrest and had no prior record. Shortly after the incident, Candia police said only one person appears to be involved and that the motive appeared to be the “excitement factor.”

Cartier said Millspaugh had a good record as an emergency responder. At only 16 years old, Millspaugh and Fire Explorer Jeff Gagnon tried to save the life of Candia resident Carolyn Carnright after her vehicle collided head-on with their school bus, and the two were later dubbed heroes for their attempt.

Millspaugh recalled the tragedy in a 2006 interview on the life-and-death risks faced by firefighters, and he said that responding to the scene of an injured friend, neighbor or fellow firefighter was one of the hardest aspects of the job. “But we are rescuers, and we get called to the scene to make things better,” he said, then age 19.

At the time, Millspaugh said he planned to pursue a career in firefighting, and praised in influence of Chief Cartier and the other experienced members of the department.

“Our chief (Rudy Cartier) is a really great guy, a huge influence, along with the rest of the department,” Millspaugh said. His hearing will continue on June 4.

Candia News : Firefighter

Former Candia firefighter linked to arson, unsolved fires

Candia firefighter charged with arson