A firefighter in Suffolk County wanted on-the-job training so badly he set an unoccupied home ablaze, authorities said Monday.
Probationary Brentwood firefighter John Kovalsky, 24, lit paper towels on fire under a picnic table in the carport of a three-bedroom home, setting it ablaze May 12 at 1:30 a.m., according to a criminal complaint filed by the Suffolk County District Attorney.
The alleged firebug told investigators he wanted to respond to the blaze and get experience, Suffolk Lt. James Rooney confirmed. As a probationary smoke eater, Kovalsky needed to fight as many real fires as possible to win the competitive job.
“He’s not a full-fledged member of the fire department. They’re very cognizant of how many ‘jobs’ they go to —– that’s what they call fires,” Rooney told the Daily News. “They’re very motivated to go to fires.”
An attorney for Kovalsky, who is due in Suffolk County court on Wednesday for a charge of third-degree arson, declined comment. One of Kovalsky’s colleagues suffered minor injuries battling the blaze.
The home belonged to Mickey Savino, who died at age 93 weeks before the fire.
His still-grieving family live in homes next door and across the street. They were awakened thanks to a passing driver who saw the fire and began honking the horn. They emerged to see the house, which still contained furniture, photographs and other sentimental items, engulfed in flames.
“My father and mom were devastated. They can’t wrap their head around it because the house is just a burned-out hulk,” Savino’s nephew, Steven Pena, 57, told The News.
“Uncle Mick was a World War II U.S. Army vet and simply a good man. He deserved better.”
The Brentwood Fire Department said it was cooperating with the investigation.
“Though the individual charged with this crime enjoys the right to a presumption of innocence, due to the very serious nature of these charges the individual will be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation,” the Fire Department said in a statement.
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