Police officer rescues couple from burning Selden home

A dog injured in a house fire on Abinet Court... — A dog injured in a house fire on Abinet Court in Selden is rushed to the Selden Emergency Animal Hospital for treatment Saturday evening. Credit: Stringer News Service

By Keldy Ortizkeldy.ortiz@newsday.comJanuary 10, 2021

A Suffolk County police officer rescued a couple from their burning home in Selden on Saturday, authorities said.

Officer Sean Kalletta, who was responding to a 4:55 p.m. 911 call of a fire, entered the home on Abinet Court near Wanda Place and found the married couple trying to rescue their dogs from the blaze. Kalletta got out Robert Baker, 55, and his wife Debra Baker, 51, and attempted to rescue the dogs, but one of the dogs bit him.

Kalletta was treated at Stony Brook University Hospital for smoke inhalation and a dog bite, police said, and later released.

Selden Fire Department First Assistant Chief Keith Kostrna and Farmingville Fire Department firefighter Richard Piccirello rescued one of the dogs from the home, police said.

The dog was taken to an animal emergency service in the hamlet for treatment and is expected to recover.

A second dog got out of the home on its own and was not hurt.

Fire departments from Centereach, Coram, Setauket, Terryville and Medford also assisted.