A man has been arrested for starting a blaze in Bristol Township’s Croydon section that led to a local fire captain being injured.
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Shayne Holland, 26, of Philadelphia, was arrested last week on charges of arson, aggravated arson, arson, reckless burning, criminal mischief, possession of explosive/incendiary material, and disorderly conduct.
Early in the morning on Sunday, November 5, firefighters were called to Bucks County Carpet in the 800 block of Cedar Avenue for a reported fire spreading through a commercial building.
A Croydon Fire Company captain was in the attic crawlspace to fight the fire when the catwalk collapsed. The firefighter fell from the attic to the first floor with a beam landing on top of him, authorities said.
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Several firefighters used tools to remove the beam from the injured firefighter and he was transported to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia for treatment, police said.
Using security footage from nearby businesses, Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito found a man walked down State Road, went up near the building, and lit a pile of trash on fire, police said.
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The footage showed the trash fire spreading to the building as the man walked away with an unidentified man, police said.
The fire marshal, Bristol Township police, and Bensalem Township police worked the investigation and determined Holland was the man spotted lighting the fire, authorities said.
Investigators said they used security camera images, social media photos, and body camera video from a traffic stop a Bensalem Township police officer conducted on Holland last spring to confirm his identity.
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The damage to the building in Bristol Township was estimated to be more than $20,000, police said.
On-call District Judge Charles Jonas preliminarily arraigned Holland and held him on 10 percent of $250,000 bail.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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