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Joshua Scott Lightcap, 23, of Columbia, and Mason Scott Howard, 21, of Akron, face arson charges after a three-month investigation linked them to five blazes between October and November 2024, including a $15,000 brush fire, according to police, court records, and arrest affidavits obtained by Daily Voice.
Lightcap admitted to starting fires with Howard and a 16-year-old from East Petersburg, seeking the adrenaline rush of firefighting, police said. The trio were volunteer firefighters with Hempfield Volunteer Fire Department.
Howard confessed to using accelerants to fuel the flames, and the juvenile described their actions as a twisted quest for excitement.
The fires — from scorched fields to a charred railroad shed on Amtrak property — consumed property and sparked fear. Investigators conducted extensive interviews, gathered physical evidence, and meticulously examined each fire scene, police said.
Lightcap has been charged with felony arson, conspiracy, and vandalism charges. Howard, faces similar counts, police detailed.
Both men were arraigned before District Judge Brian Chudzik on Feb. 18, with Lightcap’s bail set at $80,000 unsecured and Howard’s at $50,000 unsecured.
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