Former firefighter pleads guilty to Valley arson

A retired Los Angeles County battalion chief who once fought major fires in Malibu and handled emergency response for the 1994 Northridge earthquake tearfully pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree arson for torching a Spokane Valley office building.

Louis K. DeVarney Jr., 66, told Spokane County Superior Court Judge Ellen Kalama Clark that he’s taken out a $100,000 loan on his property to reimburse Spokane Rock Products for the fire that destroyed the company’s new office building in 2003. It has since been rebuilt.

DeVarney said he’ll be paying off the loan for the next 20 years.

The former firefighter won’t spend any time in jail because of credit for time served that applies to his three-month sentence.

He’ll also have to spend a year in community custody, pay $800 in court costs and reimburse the Spokane Valley Fire Department $6,559.13 for the cost of fighting the deliberately set fire at 4418 E. Eighth Ave.

He also loses his right to possess guns and his right to vote as a result of his guilty plea to the felony charge.

A question hung in the air at Monday’s sentencing: Why did he do it?

“What were you hoping to accomplish?” asked Clark, who noted she’d read a report by Spokane psychologist Mark Mays about a “perfect storm” of stress that skewed DeVarney’s thinking four years ago. Investigators didn’t break the case until 2006, when another retired Los Angeles battalion chief fingered DeVarney.

“My judgment was not good. I felt I was doing something for the community,” DeVarney replied.

At the time of the fire, he was involved in a zoning dispute with Spokane Rock Products.

“I am very embarrassed for all firefighters who put their lives on the line,” said DeVarney, noting he’d sought counseling for sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder linked to his firefighting career. “I just feel awful.”

“It was a very poor decision. I don’t expect to see you here again,” Clark replied.