Police: Man killed in Mastic house fire

Neighbor DJ Wildman said his neighbor, Frank Gaeta, who died in the fire, was trying to get out of the house.

Cecilia Dowd

May 6, 2025, 1:32 AM

Updated 1 hr ago

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A fast-moving fire at a Mastic home left a 56-year-old man dead. His parents survived and were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, police said.
The home on Overlook Drive burst into flames just after 6 p.m. Monday.
Neighbor DJ Wildman said he tried to help.
He said his neighbor, Frank Gaeta, who died in the fire, was trying to get out of the house.
He described it as “the saddest thing.”
Mastic Fire Department Chief Steven Januszkiewicz said the “entire neighborhood was enveloped in smoke” due to the density of the air.
The house is now a shell of itself, with debris everywhere.
“There was a lot of damage very quickly," said Chief Januszkiewicz.
Police say the fire appears to be non-criminal.