Long Island firefighter arrested in Medford brush fire – NBC New York

A volunteer firefighter on Long Island was arrested Tuesday evening after he allegedly admitted to starting one of the brush fires that swept through the city of Medford earlier in the day, according to a local official.

Investigators battled nearly half a dozen small brush fires in Medford on Tuesday. They extinguished them in the evening after battling them for about six hours, officials said. No injuries were reported.

According to the supervisor of the town of Brookhaven, whose Pines Park property was affected by one of the fires, the volunteer firefighter is with the Medford Fire Department.

Police identified him as 20-year-old Jonathan Quiles. They allege he intentionally started a fire in a wooded area on Mount Vernon Avenue Tuesday afternoon; A car parked nearby was damaged.

Quiles, of Medford, is charged with arson and reckless endangerment. He is expected to be arraigned later Wednesday in Central Islip. Details of an attorney for him were not immediately available.

Brookhaven wants to press charges, says the supervisor. The Medford Fire Department said in a Facebook post that it had suspended the volunteer. Added a background check that showed no red flags.

Further details were initially not known.