Those stories I've heard too. Unfortunately, that happens all too often, not just in Lanesboro, firefighters setting fires only to arrive on the scene and heroically put them out.
Here's a link to FEMA's Fire Administration where you can view a report (3.5MB PDF) that discusses the problem of Firefighter Arson. There is a brief overview on the page for those who can't view the PDF or don't want to wait for the d/l.
-Mikey