A firefighter who served two departments man has been charged with arson.
Pinehurst Assistant Fire Chief Travis Dupuy, 32, was released from jail on Friday after posting $150,000 bail.
He's been suspended at Pinehurst as well as in West Orange where he was a volunteer, KFDM reported.
West Orange Assistant Police Chief Jessie Romero told reporters: "I was driving behind Dupuy at about 1 p.m. Wednesday... I saw him throw something out of the window. I slowed down and all of a sudden I see the grass on fire. Mercy, I just saw him set a fire, I thought to myself."
The fire went out quickly.
While the officer followed Dupuy, he saw hay bales on fire.
Dupuy reportedly admitted to tossing the lit flare, but not to setting the bales on fire.
The officer noted there have been other grass and vacant structure fires in the area recently. Those remain under investigation.
