Long Island firefighter accused of setting Medford brush fire
MEDFORD, N.Y. -- A volunteer firefighter on Long Island is accused of intentionally setting fires that burned through a wooded area.
Suffolk County police said 20-year-old Jonathan Quiles, of Medford, was arrested on charges of arson and reckless endangerment. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of each during his arraignment on Wednesday.
Police said Quiles, a volunteer with the Medford Fire Department and an aspiring EMT, started a brush fire on Mount Vernon Avenue in Medford shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
He's also accused of lighting a blaze that damaged a 2004 Chevrolet that was parked on nearby Maple Street.
"That's the only car he has and he needs it for work and can't move it," a man said of his cousin's car.
The criminal complaint states in both cases Quiles lit cotton balls on fire and threw them, to cause the damage.
Defense attorney Anthony LaPinta said Quiles is usually non-violent.
"He's not a problematic kid. He's a good kid who has had some psychological issues," LaPinta said.
The Medford Fire District chairman said Quiles had undergone a background check and did not appear to have "any inclination of intentionally setting fires." He is currently suspended and could be fired if convicted.
"It's unfortunate this turned out to be a volunteer firefighter... No one is above the law," Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico said during a news conference Wednesday. "This could have caused significant damage to the Town of Brookhaven park and also loss of life. We're under Red Flag Warnings, and everyone should recognize that."
The supervisor added the hamlet will look to recoup any costs to repair the damage, saying he hopes this serves as a cautionary tale.
"Unfortunately, under New York's 'bail reform,' intentionally setting fires in the midst of the dangerously dry conditions and a statewide burn ban are not bail-eligible offenses, meaning my prosecutors cannot even ask for bail on these charges," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
Red Flag Warning for Long Island
A Red Flag Warning has been in place for the island since Tuesday morning, as the dry and windy weather make for dangerous fire conditions. The warning is set to expire at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an outdoor burn ban as the Red Flag conditions continue, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy elevated the drought advisory from a watch to a warning on Wednesday.
FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker says the city has seen a record number of brush fires in the past two weeks, including one that broke out over the weekend in Brooklyn's Prospect Park and others in Van Cortlandt Park, near the Marine Park golf course and Great Kills landfill, and in Inwood Hill Park in northern Manhattan.
Firefighters battled another brush fire in the Palisades along the Hudson River, and they're still on the scene of the deadly Jennings Creek wildfire at the New York-New Jersey border, near Greenwood Lake. At last update, the wildfire was about 30% contained and had burned through 5,000 acres, according to the New York State Parks Department.