Robert Tracey, who only a few weeks ago resigned as volunteer assistant fire chief for the West End Fire Co. to become a part-time, paid firefighter with the Coatesville Fire Department, was charged today with setting two fires Friday night not far from his home in the city's West End.

Tracey, 37, the father of four, is being held in lieu of $2 million bail after being arraigned before District Magistrate Grover Koon on two counts of arson and related charges. He was arrested on his birthday.

District Attorney Joe Carroll said five witnesses -- one a neighbor who personally knew the defendant -- saw Tracey walking away from the Friday night fires in the 100 block of Hope Avenue and 600 block of Madison. After his arrest yesterday afternoon Tracey admitted only that he was in the area at the time of the fires. Tracey lives in the 600 block of Charles Street, only three blocks from where the Friday night fires occurred.

Tracey's arrest brings to seven the number of suspects charged in connection with 70 arsons that have terrorized city residents since February 2008. "I would love to say this is the end, but it's not. There are still unsolved arsons that can not be connected to those who have been arrested," said Carroll.

The Chester County Arson Task Force, composed of federal, state, county and Coatesville investigators, will continue to investigate the unsolved arsons, Carroll said. "They will be out there twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week," he said.

Tracey allegedly had long been a person of interest in connection to the arsons, according to those familiar with the investigation. Carroll refused comment when asked if Tracey had been a suspect prior to the two fires for which he arrested. One of those homes previously destroyed by an arson-related fire was Tracey's mother's

Carroll said it was only because of the quick action of residents that the Friday night fires were limited to a two-seat porch swing and trash.

The following information was taken from the criminal complaint:

Just minutes before a a swing set on the rear porch of a home the 600 block of Madison Street a witness told police he saw Tracey walking southbound on West Sixth Avenue toward Madison Street. Tracey was described as wearing a black jacket, black beanie hat, and dark blue jeans. A second witness further identified the suspect as wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt, dark pans, and dark shoes.

A third witness who was sitting in a parked car in the 600 block of Madison Street told police he saw a pale-skinned white male matching the description provided by the previous two witnesses walking westbound on Madison Street and then momentarily disappear. When Tracey reportedly appeared again from behind the Madison Street home, the witness flashed his high beams on the subject's face. The witness then noticed a glow coming from behind the home. He dialed 911 and notified the residents.

A resident of one of the homes in the 100 block of Hope Avenue told police he was in his second-floor bedroom when he noticed the motion sensor lights on the side of his house go on. He said he looked out the window and saw a white male with a grill lighter attempting to light his next door neighbor's trash on the fire. He yelled and the the man looked up at him. The physical description of the suspect matched that provided by the three other witnesses.

A fifth witness also noticed the motion sensor lights go on and saw the a man wearing a block hoody, blue jeans, and black boots.

Carroll, during a press conference last night, said Tracey did not respond to the two fires, but did respond to previous arsons.