LI Firefighter Accused Of Intentionally Setting Brush Fire Suspended: Commissioner

LONG ISLAND, NY — A volunteer firefighter arrested in connection with a Medford brush fire has been suspended, authorities said.

Jonathan Quiles intentionally set a fire in a wooded area on Mount Vernon Avenue at around 3:35 p.m. on Tuesday, and a 2004 Chevrolet parked nearby was damaged, according to Suffolk police.

Following an investigation by Arson Section detectives, Quiles, 20, of Medford, was charged with fourth-and fifth-degree arson and second-degree reckless endangerment.

After pleading not guilty, he was released without bail and a temporary order of protection was issued at his arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip, online court records show.

His defense attorney, Anthony La Pinta of Hauppauge, told Patch that his client has a "history of being a peaceful, good natured, and polite young man who has, in the past, successfully worked through a number of personal challenges."

In a statement about Quiles' release on no bail, District Attorney Ray Tierney said, "Unfortunately, under New York’s “Bail Reform,” intentionally setting fires in the midst of the dangerously dry conditions and a state-wide burn ban are not bail eligible offenses, meaning my prosecutors cannot even ask for bail on these charges."

"Our New York lawmakers need to get their act together and pass common sense fixes to a broken bail system," he added.

County Executive Ed Romaine told ABC News that video linked Quiles to the fire.

He was arrested after an officer recognized his vehicle and stopped it, though no details about a motive have been released, the outlet reported.

In a statement from the Medford Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners' Chairman Craig Cowell that was posted on Facebook, he said the department was notified of Quiles' arrest on Tuesday.

Quiles went through a background check and there was "no knowledge to suspect" that he had "any inclination to intentionally set fires," the post said.

He has been suspended, and if convicted, will be terminated, according to Cowell.

Because the fire is being actively investigated by the police, the department is referring all queries to investigators there, and there will be no further comments, he said.

The Medford brush fire in which Quiles is charged is one of several that Arson Squad detectives are investigating, a police spokesperson said.

At least three other fires that were part of multiple brush fires sparked across Brookhaven Town on Tuesday, are under investigation, according to police.

The first fire broke out on Havens Avenue in Brookhaven at around 3:19 p.m., and the second, at around 4:33 p.m. on Horseblock Road in Yaphank, followed by the third at 4:52 p.m. on Jamaica Avenue in Medford.

Another brush fire broke out at Twelve Pines Park in Medford at around 3:40 p.m., however, its cause is not under investigation. A second fire broke out at the park at around 4:17 a.m. on Wednesday.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday night, Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said that there were a "a slew" of fires on Tuesday, including the one at the park, which was recently renovated for families and children.

"I’ve been around long enough to know that there are only so many coincidences in life," he said, adding that the town will press charges against "anyone who is caught setting fires" on town property and open space.

"Our volunteer firefighters have families of their own, they utilize taxpayer-funded equipment, and bravely protect the lives and property of others," he said. "They should not be put in harm's way or taken away from their families due to the intentional or negligent actions of others."

Patch reached out to Panico for comment on Wednesday morning.

The New York region has seen a spike in brush fires amid the lack of significant rainfall recently.

This past weekend, firefighters responded to a 14-alarm blaze that was moving quickly toward houses in Medford before it was doused by multiple fire departments.

Another large fire also broke out in Baiting Hollow.

The largest fire to date has been dubbed the Jennings Creek Wildfire on the border of New York and New Jersey.

An 18-year-old forest ranger was killed in the efforts to knock the fire down on Saturday.

A critical weather conditions warning was in effect on Tuesday due to dry conditions, coupled with gusty winds, across Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley.