Man charged with arson after Burlington Township fire

BURLINGTON TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- Police have charged a man with arson in connection to an early morning fire at a Burlington Township, New Jersey condominium.

The suspect has been identified as 35-year-old Brian Kolarovic.

Authorities were called around 3:40 a.m. Thursday to the 1200 block of Megan's Lane for the report of a fire.

Arriving officers located the fire in one of the units and worked to get it under control.

While doing so, police received reports that Kolarovic was the resident of the unit that was on fire. They were told he was last seen walking away as the fire began.

Within minutes, police said they found Kolarovic walking on Kelly Drive in the area of Route 541. They took him into custody after they say their investigation revealed that he purposely started the fire.

Kolarovic has been charged with one count of aggravated arson, one count of causing or risking widespread injury or damage, and one count of criminal mischief. He is currently in police custody undergoing processing.

Police said the fire caused severe damage to Kolarovic's unit and one adjoining unit. Two more adjoining units experienced minor damage as a result of smoke and fire suppression activities.

Ashley Lombardo's home is just a few hundred feet from the unit was left smoldering after the fire was put out nearly an hour after it started.

"I walked out there was smoke everywhere, the street was covered," she said.

Neighbors said Kolarovic often did strange things around the neighborhood, most recently going door-to-door and alerting people to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior.

"It wasn't really clear, it was really kinda odd behavior," Lombardo said.

No injuries were reported. The fire was placed under control at 4:33 a.m.

The investigation is being conducted by the Burlington Township Police Department and the Burlington Township Fire Official.