OAKDALE — Three volunteer firemen are among six Allen Parish men facing arson and burglary charges for allegedly setting fires to residential and commercial structures in the Oakdale area.

The arrests, announced Tuesday by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, follow a monthlong investigation.

Other suspicious fires in Oakdale remain under investigation, and additional arrests are possible, the fire marshal’s office said.

Of the six people charged, three served as volunteer firefighters with both the Oakdale and Allen Parish District 6 fire departments.

Five of the six charged confessed to their roles in setting the fires, while one refused to talk to investigators, officials said. No clear motive has been established.

The firefighters arrested:

l Thomas Lenox Gilbert, 18, Elizabeth — three counts of simple arson, three counts of criminal conspiracy and one count of simple burglary.

l Bobby Wayne Murray, 17, Oakdale — three counts of simple arson, three counts of criminal conspiracy and one count of simple burglary.

l Johnny West, 21, Oakdale — three counts of simple arson, three counts of criminal conspiracy and one count of simple burglary.

Also charged:

l Darryl Edward Blount, 18, Oakdale — simple arson and criminal conspiracy.

l Kenneth Jamal Sweet, 25, Oakdale — two counts of simple arson, two counts of criminal conspiracy and one count of simple burglary.

l Jeremy West, 20, Oakdale — three counts of simple arson, three counts of criminal conspiracy and one count of simple burglary.

State investigators began working with Oakdale officials and local fire departments to provide instruction on how fire scenes should be handled after a rash of structure fires in the Oakdale area this year.

The private discussions were also intended to provide an opportunity for firefighters to share their thoughts on the fires with an investigator in a confidential setting, state Deputy Chief Brant Thompson said.

Several firefighters identified an Oakdale volunteer firefighter as a person of interest in a number of the fires.

Later, after examining several months of response logs, it was established that the firefighter in question, West, was often the first to respond when a fire dispatch was initiated. Afterward, investigators contacted and interviewed West, who denied knowledge of or involvement in the incident.

Other interviews resulted in obtaining the names of five others who, with West, were implicated in three fires — one in May and two in early June. Two of the fires caused heavy damage to vacant houses on Locke and East Jackson streets. The third fire caused damage to a commercial building on Industrial Boulevard that the city used for storage.

In January 2011, six firemen were arrested on more than 30 aggravated and simple arson charges for allegedly setting fire to woods, unoccupied structures and a vehicle in the Oakdale area. The fires occurred between April 5 and Dec. 22, 2010.

(American Press Archives)