Overnight Arson Fire Might Be Connected To Illegal Fireworks

Investigators are seeking a group of juveniles who are believed to have been shooting off fireworks minutes before a house fire late Saturday in Falls Township.

Fire Marshal Rich Dippolito said he would like to speak with the four male teens – three white and one black, all about 14 or 15 years old – in connection with the blaze that severely damaged the home in the 500 block of Stevens Road. Three of the teens were on bicycles and one was on a skateboard. A witness heard one of the teens calling the name “Alex.”

“Right now they’re persons of interest, and I’m very interested in speaking with them,” the fire marshal said.

While the fire remains under investigation, Dippolito said the blaze was an arson linked to an incendiary like fireworks.

Multiple witnesses reported that they heard fireworks in the neighborhood minutes before the fire broke out. Dippolito said police were up the street from the fire shortly before taking a report from a resident who had fireworks set off on their porch.

The female homeowner, whose husband was at work, escaped after noticing the fire at 11:54 p.m. A neighbor helped rescue the homeowners’ dogs.

Household products in the carport of the home exploded due to the heat of the fire.

Aside from heavy damage throughout the house, several vehicles parked in the driveway were damaged and destroyed.

Dippolito said a neighboring home suffered heat damage.

Falls Supervisor Jeff Dence lives less than a mile from the scene of the fire and reported to investigators Sunday that his street had strange fireworks related incidents last week. He said around 10 p.m. last Wednesday he was startled after seeing fireworks set off on his neighbor’s porch. In the moments before the small explosions, he heard someone running down his street.

“If it was Friday or Saturday, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it,” Dence told LevittownNow.com. “It just struck me as strange.”

A short time later, fireworks were set off at another home down the street, which was within walking distance of Stevens Road.

“We’re not going to take lightly to illegal fireworks. In this case, it could have killed somebody,” Dippolito said.

Anyone with information on the identity of the teens – even anonymously – can contact Dippolito at 215-949-9000 ex. 250 or via email at rdippolito@fallstwp.org.

A GoFundMe account was set up to assist the family following the blaze.