NAPLES, Fla. — “My family abandoned me… so I set it on fire.”
The Greater Naples Fire Rescue arrived at a home off 19th Street SW engulfed in flames. Fire protrudes through heat-shattered windows. The blaze slowly devoured the structure from within.
As firefighters rushed to control the inferno, the home’s owner, Michael Edward Kurylak, patrolled the chaos in a clearly agitated state.
He was repeating the same thing over and over again. However, he always capped it off by making one thing clear: He was the one who set the fire.
BUILDING THE KINDLING
The previous day, Kurylak was inside the home. His wife was also there. According to the arrest report, she arrived to drop off some items and picked up a few additional ones.
Family members claim Michael has struggled for some time, but recently the home became not “safe.” As his wife took her leave, Kurylak told her his intentions.
He was going to burn the house down.
Slowly and surely, Kurylak began piling up furniture to form a makeshift pyre. Around 4:00 p.m. on February 22nd, he poured a flammable accelerant atop the wooden mound and across the residence.
With the flick of a match, the home transformed into a makeshift incinerator.
SIFTING THROUGH THE ASHES
Greater Naples Fire Rescue was able to extinguish the flames and bring the maw of fire to a smoldering cease. Due to the mysterious nature of the fire, The Collier County Sheriff’s Office also arrived to begin, what would turn out to be, a brief investigation.
“My family abandoned me. I have no food or water, so I set it on fire.”
Firefighters reiterated the mantra Kurylak had been continually preaching. He eventually explained his reasoning to deputies and walked them through his simple steps to start a fire.
For his involvement in the inferno, Michael Kurylak was arrested and charged with arson.
The home has been considered a total loss and is uninhabitable.
LOOKING FOR MORE COLLIER CRIME?: Homeless man found sleeping inside kitchen pantry of damaged Naples home
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
If you are living in Collier County and dealing with feelings of loss or depression, you can contact the David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health by calling (239) 455-8500.
You can also learn how to navigate a mental health crisis by heading to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
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