A New Ringgold man, who led the investigation into a serial arsonist who set multiple fires along the D & L Trail in Carbon County last year, has received an award from the governor for his work.

Jacob Novitsky, the assistant district manager of Weiser State Forest, who is in charge of wildfire program and operations, was among five individuals and 11 groups to receive the Governor’s Awards for Excellence Tuesday in Harrisburg.

Novitsky and Matthew Waters of the Packerton Wildfire Investigation Team — Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, were recognized for leading the investigation into a serial arsonist who set multiple fires along the D & L Trail in Carbon County.

Waters was not able to attend the ceremony because of a job obligation.

The Packerton Wildfire required over 150 personnel to extinguish. They reviewed cellphone and drone surveillance footage, interviewed witnesses, and posed as hikers to protect against suspicious activity. These efforts culminated in the identification and arrest of a juvenile suspect whose phone contained photos, messages, and GPS data linking him to the fires.

“The Packerton Wildfire Investigation Team conducted a high-level investigation that brought a serial arsonist to justice,” said DCNR Deputy Secretary John Norbeck.

Novitsky said he was “really honored to accept the award.”

“It was a lot of hard work on multiple fronts, a lot of different people were involved to make this happen,” Novitsky said. “It was great to work with local law enforcement, local fire companies, definitely it was a great team effort.”

Novitsky, originally from Coaldale, added, “I feel very grateful that I was able to part of something this great. It was great to be able to help out the local area there, especially the local homeowners.”

“Throughout the whole investigation, while we were out and about and doing our investigations and looking at these fires, a lot of the public wanted to know what was going on, a lot of the public was scared. We had to make sure we were only giving out some information, not everything; we didn’t want to jeopardize the investigation.

“I got a lot of help and guidance from the district attorneys and how to proceed with the case and what we needed to do, and also the Carbon County detectives helped us out. It was a great win for all of us, the county, the state.”

Novitsky pointed out it took several months “to put all this stuff together.

“It took a while to get everything squared away. The biggest thing with all of these cases is you got to be patient, make sure you’re following what the evidence and facts are showing you and telling you and follow those facts to build your case.”

The award

Gov. Josh Shapiro presented the Governor’s Awards for Excellence to 83 Commonwealth employees across 17 state agencies in recognition of their exceptional accomplishments in public service in 2025.

“The Governor’s Awards for Excellence recognize fewer than one percent of Commonwealth employees each year — a testament to the prestige of these awards and the exceptional caliber of those selected,” said Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver. “Recruitment, hiring, retention, and professional development are central to our mission, and highlighting extraordinary achievements complements our efforts to make the Commonwealth an employer of choice. The individuals honored today embody the dedication, skill, and service that strengthen state government and improve the lives of Pennsylvanians.”

The case

On April 19, 2025, the Packerton Wildfire broke out and quickly consumed 560 acres along the D&L Trail. The wildfire involved over 150 firefighters and cost the DCNR $580,000 to suppress.

Investigators determined the Packerton Wildfire was set intentionally in the same way as a string of recent wildfires that had begun in March 2025. The area is a transitional zone where urban development meets underdeveloped wildland vegetation, meaning a high risk to people and property if a wildfire burns out of control.

As the fires continued, the Packerton Wildfire Investigation Team determined the arsonist’s patterns by combing through cellphone and drone surveillance footage, speaking to witnesses, and even going as far an engaging in recreation on the trail to keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

Through assistance from local law enforcement, the team identified the suspect and obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s phone, which revealed data linking the suspect to the fires.

The suspect was officially charged with multiple counts of arson in January.

In total, the 17-year-old boy set 19 fires along the D&L Trail, between Jim Thorpe and Weissport, from March to November 2025.