Jennifer Carter walked out the door a couple of weeks ago to a shocking sight.
"I see the whole lawn on fire. I see nothing but flames and smoke," said Carter.
The fire was deliberately set.
"I guess it's some kind of joke, a sick joke. They're lighting lawns on fire," said Folcroft Police Chief Robert Ruskowski.
Firefighters have been called to seven homes over the past couple of weeks to put out lawn fires. When it's not raining, the grass is tinder-dry and burns quickly. The flames have also reached into the shrubbery, and the police fear they may eventually cause a house fire.
Many homes have grills on the grass with propane tanks attached, which could cause a deadly explosion. It has some residents living in fear.
"It makes me think of moving. I have a two-year-old here, who I don't want to grow up in a neighborhood where I have to worry about him getting hurt," Carter told Action News.
The arsonists may just be kids out to have a good time. But the police want them to know this isn't child's play. And they are not messing around.
"If they get caught, it's going to cost their parents a lot of money. Every possible charge we can charge them with we're going to charge them with," said Ruskowski. "This is serious. It's not a joke, it's not a game. It's fire. And that's how you get hurt, playing with fire. So, we're going to go after them with everything we can."
Arson is a felony that carries the possibility of serious jail time. The police have been getting tip calls and will be talking to some possible suspects. They are hoping the arsons will stop before someone gets hurt.
