Former volunteer firefighter charged with arson

(KPLC) - A former volunteer firefighter has been arrested by the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal after confessing to setting three separate fires in Longville and Alexandria last month, state fire officials say.

Kelly DeVille, 35, was booked into the Beauregard Parish Jail on Monday, June 25, on two counts of simple arson. DeVille had previously been booked into the Rapides Parish Jail in Alexandria for two counts of aggravated arson and one count of simple arson involving a hotel fire.

DeVille was a non-active member of the Longville Volunteer Fire Department, according to Ashley Rodrigue, public affairs director with the Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The district fire chief over Longville says DeVille has not been a part of the fire department for nearly seven years.

Rodrigue said DeVille blamed her behavior on alcohol and drug impairment due to depression.

Rodrigue said investigators learned DeVille lives 100 yards from two suspicious structure fires that occurred on the same day in May.

Two fires were reported on Dusty Lane in Longville on Monday, May 21. The first came in at 2 a.m. about a fire at an abandoned mobile home in the 100 block of Dusty Lane and the second came in just before midnight about at an abandoned home a fire in the 200 block of Dusty Lane. Both cases were ruled as arson.

Investigators learned that the fire at the abandoned mobile home in the 100 block of Dusty Lane was the third fire at that location in two days. The first was a mattress set on fire on May 19, the second was a truck bed camper on May 20.

After initially denying involvement, DeVille confessed to intentionally setting both of those fires, as well as admitting to the Alexandria hotel fire, Rodrigue said.

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