Firefighters Respond After Man Sets House On Fire

Willingboro Firefighters responded to a Hawthorne Park home on January 18th after a man intentionally set the house on fire. The department was dispatched at 11:10 am to 53 Hillcrest Lane for a reported house on fire. Engine 1613 arrived in five minutes and the crew was advised by Willingboro Police that the fire was purposely set. Captain Ramsey checked the home from the outside and found only light smoke coming from the roof area.

Firefighters Fresco opened the front door and was met with a heavy smoke condition. Firefighter Robertson pulled a 2" handline from Engine 1613 and both firefighters entered the structure in search of the fire. The firefighters searched the entire downstairs in pitch black conditions and only found several small fires. They then proceeded to the second floor with a crew from Westampton and found only a small fire.

A later arriving crew from Burlington Township then entered the home to assist with removing the smoke and checking for any additional hidden fires. Chief of Department Burnett arrived on scene as crews were finishing up their firefighting efforts. He placed the fire under control at 11:32 am.

Two people that were in the home at the time of the fire were transported to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. The home received minor damage from fire but had smoke damage throughout the entire structure. Willingboro Police Department's Detective Bureau and the Burlington County Fire Marshal's Office investigated the incident. All crews were released from the scene at 1:00 pm.