Fire investigators in State Park found it suspicious that two abandoned homes, without gas or electricity, caught fire in the early morning hours of Sept. 4.

The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office was called in to investigate the blazes at 8507 Fairway Blvd. Based on evidence at the scene, investigators determined that the fire at one home was caused by an incendiary device. The fire spread to the second home, police said.

The investigation soon turned to 18-year-old Robert Schlechter, who lived next door to the abandoned houses and had joined the State Park Volunteer Fire Department less than two weeks before the blazes broke out. On Friday, Schlechter was charged with two counts of felony arson.

An investigator with the Madison County Sheriff’s office arrested Schlechter shortly after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Bond was set at $60,000.

Schlechter was terminated from his position as a volunteer with the State Park Volunteer Fire Department.