Illinois Volunteer Firefighter Guilty of Arson for Insurance

A volunteer firefighter from central Illinois will spend 180 days in jail after admitting she started a fire in her home to try to collect insurance money.

Jennifer Baker is being held in the Effingham County Jail after pleading guilty to arson last week.

The 30-year-old firefighter from Shumway was a member of the small town’s fire department when she set fire to a trash can in her kitchen in January. The fire was contained to her kitchen and no one else was in the home at the time. Shumway is 80 miles south of Champaign.

A plea deal allowed Baker to avoid up to 15 years in prison. Effingham County State’s Attorney Ed Deters said he agreed to the deal because Baker has young children and had financial difficulties.

Information from: Effingham Daily News