Fire chief charged with arson

James Smith

Edward Smith

MONTICELLO – A fire that destroyed a vacant bungalow at a Jewish summer colony apparently was set, deliberately, by the local fire chief and his uncle.

Fallsburg Fire Chief James Smith, 33, was arrested Wednesday, a day after his uncle, Edward Smith, 44, was arrested in connection with the August 29 fire. Both face serious felony charges.

Why would a fire chief set a fire? During a Thursday news conference, Sullivan County District Attorney Stephen Lungen said it is a scenario they’ve encountered before.

“Essentially, there’s been a lack of activity, and that the firefighting has slow, and the chief decided to, essentially, instruct his uncle about how to set this fire so that they could have a fire, call the fire company into action, and, in his own, in my view disturbed way of thinking, give the fire company some activity and some training.”

Fallsburg Police Detective Travis Hartman said they determined, during their initial investigation the night of the fire, that it had been set.

None of the law enforcement officers would go into detail as to what was done to set the fire, and attempt to make it appear accidental, but they did confirm the scenario the two suspects tried to create was an electrical fire.

It is also reported that anti-Semitic slurs were drawn on the building at the Skopps colony, on the corner of Laurel Avenue and Brickman Road.
James and Edward Smith rented apartments in a caretaker’s bungalow at the colony that is otherwise vacant except during the summer.

Now, both are in jail in lieu of $25,000 bail each. Both are charged with third degree arson, third degree burglary and second degree criminal mischief, along with some misdemeanor counts. James Smith, as chief, faces additional charges of official misconduct and criminal solicitation, but misdemeanors.

“This is an aberration”, said Lungen, noting his own long involvement with fire departments.

“That’s not to be the measure or the judge of the great work the volunteer firefighters do in our county.”

Lungen said in the few past cases of fire officials charged with arson, he has vigorously pursued full prosecution.