April 30th, 2017 by WCBC Radio

A West Virginia man has been arrested and charged in connection with a recent series of fires that damaged almost 58 acres in Green Ridge State Forest in Allegany County.

Brian Chad Twigg, 19, of Paw Paw, West Virginia, was arrested on a warrant Monday and ordered held on a $5,000 bond at the Allegany County Detention Center. Twigg is charged with three counts each of malicious burning in the first-degree, a felony, malicious destruction of property and maliciously setting fires.

The nine charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 39 years and a fine of up to $28,500.

Investigators were called to the scene of three fires that occurred March 23 near Malcolm Road, and April 3 and 4 near Kirk Road. They concluded the fires were suspicious in nature and traced the evidence back to Twigg.