Brevard firefighter accused of setting fire to his own home

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — A Brevard County firefighter was arrested Friday after he set his house on fire last year during Hurricane Dorian, according to a report.

On Sept. 4, 2019, at about 8 a.m., firefighters said they responded to a house fire in the 4200 block of Pondapple Drive in Titusville.

Officials said Donald Slayman III, a firefighter, got out of the house without injuries.

Read: ‘Extremely dangerous’ Hurricane Delta packs winds of 145 mph as it nears Yucatan Peninsula - clipped version

When firefighters arrived at the house, they said Slayman’s neighbors were trying to put out the fire while Slayman was on the phone talking to his wife about his cat.

Investigators said the fire began in the garage. Slayman told investigators he was sent home early from work due to overtime.

Slayman told officials that he took his golf cart to the clubhouse and had a few alcoholic drinks. He said he came back home around 8 p.m., plugged the golf cart in the charger, and went inside the house.

Read; Surveillance video shows missing Belle Isle mother of 3 at local Walmart before her disappearance

Slayman told investigators he made dinner and then began to smell smoke. He said his lights flickered, his pulse point app went off on his phone and his smoke detectors went off.

According to a report, Slayman said he looked at his phone and his address was on the pulse point app.

Investigators say in a later interview however Slayman told them that fire started while he was pouring gasoline into a generator while it was running and there was a “flash and fire went everywhere”

Read: Deputies investigating after bullets fired into home with 3-month-old inside

According to the report Slayman gave several inconsistent statements to investigators about how the fire started.

Slayman was arrested for arson of a dwelling and later posted bail.

Investigators believe Slayman started the fire to collect insurance money on the home.

Cox Media Group