Suffolk County volunteer firefighter arrested and charged with starting brush fires in Medford, Long Island, New York

MEDFORD, Long Island – A volunteer firefighter has been arrested for allegedly starting a brush fire in New York.

Firefighter Jonathan Quiles “intentionally” set a fire in a wooded area on Mount Vernon Avenue that damaged a 2004 Chevrolet parked nearby, police said.

The fire burned in an area of ​​Twelve Pines Park in Suffolk County on Tuesday afternoon. The fire department was on duty on Wednesday morning to extinguish the fire.

It was one of several wildfires in Suffolk County on Wednesday.

It was revealed in court that four witnesses saw the suspect kicking and throwing cotton balls that he allegedly set on fire at 3:23 p.m. And 15 minutes later, another witness saw him throwing cotton balls into the fire behind a residential area.

Quiles is charged with arson and reckless endangerment. The Suffolk District Attorney says the charge is not bail eligible.

“Unfortunately, under New York City's 'bail reform,' intentionally starting fires amid dangerously dry conditions and a statewide burn ban are not bail-eligible crimes, meaning my prosecutors will not even seek bail for these charges can request. “It takes our New York lawmakers to get their act together and find common sense solutions to a broken bail system,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.

The Medford Fire Department said it “conducts arson background checks before admitting members and there is no evidence to suggest that this individual may have had a propensity to intentionally set fires.”

They said Quiles was suspended and would be fired if convicted.

The department said, “The incident is being actively investigated by the Suffolk County PD Arson Squad.”

At least one of the victims, the owner of a 2004 Chevrolet parked nearby that also caught fire, filed for a protective order.