KEYES, California — Because an internal probe was taking longer than expected, the board of the Keyes Fire Protection District, in the midst of a dispute involving adult entertainment, agreed that chief and assistant chief Chief Eddie Jones and his son, Assistant Chief Roger Jones will remain off duty until March 4.

The board had ordered that the two be suspended for the duration of an investigation into complaints about pornography intruding on the volunteer department’s business.

Roger Jones’ wife, district firefighter Alexas Jones, owns an explicit Web site featuring her and has appeared in adult magazines and videos. Some of the other firefighters complained that the couple sometimes talked about these pursuits at the station — a claim the Joneses denied.

Last month, 17 firefighters and cadets resigned after hearing that Roger Jones had allegedly fired a cadet accused of defrauding an Internet site while on duty at the station.

One of the dissident firefighters said that the site was Alexas Jones’ and that Roger Jones was angry the cadet had canceled the online check that paid the entry fee. Alexas Jones said the cadet had been viewing a pornographic site other than her own.

The firing was voided after the board agreed last month that the assistant chief did not have authority to take this action.

The 17 firefighters rescinded their resignations after receiving a promise that the board would look into the dispute.

The investigation is being conducted by the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire District, which includes the county fire warden’s office.

The Keyes board held a 75-minute closed session before Wednesday’s vote on the suspensions. It did not discuss the dispute in open session.

The issue has drawn attention from media across the nation and even turned up in The Economist, a weekly newspaper based in London.

Capt. Herb Collier, a leader in the protest, said interim Chief Rick Fortado has told the staff not to talk with reporters about the matter.

Fortado, who also is chief of the neighboring Turlock Rural Fire Protection District, confirmed that he set that policy for the duration of his duty in Keyes.

Eddie Jones said after the meeting that he had no problem with his leave being extended. Jones, who has been chief for 22 years, continues to receive his salary.