By Daniel Lapham/Staff writer

A former Cedar Lake volunteer firefighter has been charged with intentionally starting two fires in southwest Canadian County.

James Lee Self, 32, was arrested by Canadian County sheriff’s deputies on June 18, according to court documents. The arrest came following an investigation by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and approximately two years after Self allegedly set the fires.

Special Agent David Spears, an investigator with the state Department of Agriculture, said he received a call from the Cedar Lake fire chief and El Reno Fire Chief Kent Lagaly in 2006, saying they were having a problem with an arsonist.

“There were more than 60 fires in the year,” Spears said. “We interviewed every person on the (Cedar Lake) fire department and when I interviewed James (Self), I knew there was a problem.”

Following a second interview, Spears said Self confessed to starting the fires. Spears said a backlog of cases caused a delay in seeking formal charges against Self.

“I had a case in Oklahoma City I worked on for over a year and I worked a fire in Duncan where a guy died,” Spears said.

Spears is one of nine special investigators in Oklahoma who investigate crimes of livestock theft, agriculture equipment theft, timber theft and wildfire arson.
“We will not tolerate arson and we will continue to investigate until the case is closed,” Lagaly said.

Self was released from Canadian County Jail on $5,000 bail. He is scheduled for a court hearing on July 14 and a preliminary hearing has been set for Aug. 15.

Spears said it’s unusual for a fireman to be involved in arson, but it does happen.

“If they break the law by setting fires, there are consequences. We need to all keep working together and send the message that fires are against the law. You can’t do those kinds of things,” Spears said. “This is my fourth firefighter I have arrested for starting fires in the 20 years I’ve been in this business.”