Suffolk Police Officer Saves Selden Couple From Burning House

SELDEN, NY — A Suffolk County police officer rescued a Selden couple from their burning home on Saturday afternoon, though he was injured in the process.

Officers from the sixth precinct responded to a 911 call for a fire at a home on Abinet Court at 4:55 p.m.

Officer Sean Kalletta entered the burning home and found two residents trying to save their two dogs. Officer Kalletta escorted Robert Baker, 55, and his wife, Debra Baker, 51, out of their home and attempted to rescue the canines. One of the dogs bit Kalletta, who was brought to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and a dog bite, police said.

The Selden Fire Department extinguished the fire. First Assistant Chief Keith Kostrna and Farmingville Fire Department firefighter Richard Piccirello rescued a dog from the house. The dog is being treated at Animal Emergency Service in Selden and is expected to recover. The second dog exited the home on its own and was uninjured.

Units from the Centereach, Coram, Setauket, Terryville and Medford fire departments also helped.

Suffolk County Arson Section detectives are investigating the cause of the fire.