Volunteer firefighters arrested for arson

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Suffolk County Police say three volunteer firefighters set fires in Central Islip and Hauppauge during a four-month span.

Police arrested Austin Lehman, Stephen Hernandez and Shawn Key in connection with fires intentionally set at abandoned houses between October and January. All three are members of the Central Islip Fire Department. No one was injured in any of the fires.

"They put the fellow members of the Central Islip Fire Department in grave jeopardy," Acting Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron said. "Responding to a structure fire is extremely dangerous. What they did put their fellow firefighters in jeopardy."

Hernandez, 25, of Central Islip, and Lehman, 19, of Central Islip, were charged with five counts of Arson 3rd Degree for their involvement in all five fires.

Key, 27, of North Babylon, was charged with Arson 3rd Degree for the fire on November 22.

The three were scheduled to be arraigned in Central Islip. It was unclear if they had lawyers.

The three were charged in connection with fires at:

•    82 Gates Ave. in Central Islip on October 21 at approximately 6 a.m. 
•    104 Vanderbilt Ave. in Central Islip on October 24 at approximately 5:20 a.m. 
•    173 Gibbs Road in Central Islip on November 7 at approximately 5:50 a.m. 
•    43 Oakdale Ave. in Central Islip on November 22 at approximately 2:20 a.m.  
•    475 Bridge Road in Hauppauge on January 14 at approximately 3:40 a.m.