GOODLAND ? A Goodland teacher and football coach has been suspended by the school district after being charged with trying to set his home on fire, authorities said.

Tony Diehl, 34, a language arts teacher, was charged Monday in Sherman County District Court with one count of arson, said Bonnie Selby, county attorney. Diehl was arrested Sunday after authorities responded to a fire at his home.

According to court documents, Diehl allegedly set his home on fire late Saturday. Those documents list only Diehl, saying he was thought to have set the fire without his wife, Tiffany’s, consent.

Goodland Police Chief Ray Smee said Monday that Diehl’s neighbors alerted authorities to the fire about 11:10 p.m. Saturday. Neighbors were trying to extinguish the fire when firefighters arrived.

Goodland Fire Chief Dean Jensen said an accelerant was used to start the fire, but “very minor” damage occurred.

The fire was the second at the house in a week, Jensen said. An Aug. 22 fire also was thought to have been started by an accelerant. No charges have been filed in that fire.

Diehl was released from jail on $25,000 bond and was expected to have a preliminary hearing in October.

He has been suspended indefinitely with pay, said Marvin Selby, superintendent of the Goodland school district.

“We have switched people around because it is an indefinite suspension, and we’ll see how things go,” he said.

Jon McLean, offensive coordinator and head basketball coach at Goodland High School, will coach the football team, which plays its first game this season Friday at Hoxie, Selby said.