Man Charged With Arson Following Brewster Fire

Firefighters battle a multi-unit residential structure in Brewster last week. Photos provided by New York State Police.

A Southeast man has been charged with arson following a large fire that drew a response from multiple fire departments June 11 to a multi-family building in Brewster.

According to New York State Police, the call came in at about 12:40 p.m., for 8 Old Route 6, where a three-story apartment building containing 10 separate units was found actively burning.

Brewster Fire Chief Steven Miller arrived on scene within minutes and, due to advanced fire conditions, a second alarm was transmitted – bringing in firefighters from Putnam and northern Westchester, stated the Brewster Fire Department.

Assisted by Carmel firefighters, Brewster crews initiated an aggressive interior attack, extinguishing flames on the entire second and third floors.

“Unfortunately, due to a lack of fire hydrants in the area, firefighters temporarily ran out of water and the fire extended into the attic space,” according to BFD. “Shortly after, a partial collapse of the roof into the top floor caused a subsequent collapse into the second floor, and firefighters were forced to continue operating from the exterior of the building.”

The Putnam County Fire Investigation team was called in to determine the cause of the fire, which was deemed arson. Following an investigation, tenant Brian Cronin, 43, was interviewed and confessed to intentionally setting the fire in his apartment, according to NYSP. 

Cronin was charged with second-degree arson, a class B felony, and remanded to Putnam County Correctional Facility in lieu of $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Firefighters from Brewster, Carmel, Lake Carmel, Mahopac, and Croton Falls, along with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Emergency Services’ Fire Investigation Team, and Department of Public Works, as well as NYSP responded to the scene.