Suffolk County police announced the arrest Friday of a Coram man, charging him with setting a fire that gutted a neighbor's home.

Altariq Nixon, 43, was arrested following an investigation by Arson Squad detectives and the Town of Brookhaven fire marshal, police said. He was charged with second-degree arson.

Nixon pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Friday in First District Court in Central Islip. A judge issued a temporary order of protection and set bail at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond, according to court records.

His attorney could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Police said the fire at the home on Glenmere Lane was the second in two months. The previous fire, also being investigated as a possible arson, occurred Sept. 10 — and police said shrubs and siding on

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