POUGHKEEPSIE – A volunteer firefighter with the East Fishkill Fire Department, was arrested in connection with a large brush fire that occurred near the Dutchess Rail Trail in Wappinger on April 15.
Nicholas Hughes, 24, of Wappinger, was charged with reckless endangerment and willfully setting a forest fire, both as felonies, and a misdemeanor or arson.
It took firefighters from nine fire departments some five hours to bring the blaze under control after it damaged approximately nine acre. There were no injuries and no damage to the rail trail.
Investigators from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau and Arson Investigation Unit looked into the cause of the fire and on April 22, Hughes was arrested an charge with intentionally setting it. He was arraigned and released to the supervision of the Department of Probation to be placed on electronic monitoring.
The investigation is continuing and anyone with information regarding suspicious fires in the Town of Wappinger is asked to contact Det. Harris or Det. Pfitscher at 845-486-3820 or call the sheriff’s office tipline at 845-605-CLUE (2583) or email at dcsotips@gmail.com. All calls will be kept confidential.
