GOODLAND ? The fire chief of this northwest Kansas town was charged with attempting to steal cigarettes from the wreckage of a tractor-trailer, and a volunteer firefighter is charged with stealing enough of the cigarettes to trigger a felony charge.

Fire Chief Scott Gilmer is charged with misdemeanor attempted theft, while volunteer firefighter Neal Normandin, 38, is charged with felony theft.

Gilmer, 46, is accused of stuffing several cartons of cigarettes into his uniform. He is charged with the lesser offense, Sherman County Atty. Bonnie Selby said Wednesday, because she thinks he might have taken the cartons back out voluntarily.

“That’s why I charged him with attempted theft, because he knew he’d done something wrong and did what he could to rectify it,” she said.

Gilmer’s attorney, Kevin Berens of St. Francis, entered a not guilty plea. Normandin’s first court date is Tuesday, according to a District Court document.

Selby said the tractor-trailer was carrying about $1.5 million worth of cigarettes when it crashed July 19 on Interstate 70, about nine miles west of Goodland.

The trailer broke open, and boxes of cigarette cartons spilled into the ditch.

Selby said she had no problems with the way fire crews handled the wreck and took care of driver Robert Proffitt, of Laurel Fork, Va., who was able to free himself before emergency workers arrived.

“They went about checking for gas leaks, and got him loaded into the ambulance,” Selby said. “They did their jobs professionally.”

But after that, the theft charges allege, Normandin loaded two boxes of Camel cigarette cartons into a Fire Department truck and put some cartons into his firefighter’s suit. Selby said he took the boxes out of the truck when witnesses confronted him.

Gilmer and Normandin both smoke Camel cigarettes, Selby said, noting that the semi was hauling a number of brands.

City Manager Wayne Hill said Gilmer was still Goodland’s fire chief and Normandin was still listed as a volunteer firefighter.