A Long Island man was arrested for allegedly setting his home on fire in a massive blaze that killed two dogs and a cat — and sent two firefighters to the hospital, according to police.
Jahan Kia, 40, is accused of sparking the destructive flames in the basement stairwell of the Plainview house, where he lived as a tenant, around 7:50 p.m. Monday, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Police said nearly 100 firefighters from six neighboring departments battled the blaze and dense smoke that ripped through the charred Eileen Avenue home and left two dogs and a cat dead inside.
“This is horrible — I don’t understand, why would you harm your own animals?” one emotional neighbor told The Post, explaining that she overheard Kia asking police about his cat when being hauled away.
While no other residents were inside the home when the fire broke out, two firefighters were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation and burns to their hands, officials said.
Two neighboring residences also suffered significant damage from the inferno.
Another neighbor said her home looked like it was melting as the fire raged next door — describing the suspected firebug as a “mysterious” figure she had only seen a handful of times.
“The people who lived upstairs were amazing, but that person, no idea who he was,” the woman said.
“Maybe have only see him a handful of times and have never spoken to him like I have everyone else.”
The home’s remaining tenants were seen Tuesday combing through the ashes of the devastated property in a desperate attempt to salvage their belongings.
Kia was charged with third-degree arson, second-degree criminal mischief, and torturing/injuring animals.
The investigation is ongoing.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
