Surveillance video shows van intentionally set on fire in Croydon, flames spread to home

CROYDON, Pa. (WPVI) -- Authorities in Bucks County are investigating an arson that destroyed a home after a van was intentionally set on fire early Friday morning.

The fire broke out around 5:15 a.m. on the 700 block of Cedar Avenue in Croydon.

Surveillance footage shows a person walking up to a parked van, setting it ablaze, and running away. The flames quickly spread from the van to the nearby house.

"Arson is a horrible crime," said Paul Wallace Jr., the homeowner's son.
Wallace said his father built the home and had lived there for decades.

"We lost a lot. I grew up in this house. My dad put more than forty years of blood, sweat, and tears into it. He built this house. It's a huge loss," he said.

A Bristol Township police officer happened to be driving by and alerted one of the five residents inside before fire crews arrived.

"He banged on the front door and alerted one resident," said Kevin Dippolito, Bristol Township Fire Marshal.

All five occupants escaped safely, but firefighters faced heavy smoke and difficult conditions inside the home. One firefighter ran out of air on the third floor and had to escape through a window. He was treated for smoke inhalation and has since been released from the hospital.

"There were some hoarding conditions," Dippolito said.

Wallace said the home is now unlivable and that one of the family's cats died in the fire.

"To see that it's all burnt up and you know three feet high in water, it kills me. It's hard to look at," Wallace said.

He also claimed this was not the first time the van had been targeted.

"Surveillance video from August 3rd shows this wasn't the first time the van was set on fire," Wallace said. "We're pretty sure we know exactly who did it, and we'll be seeing him in court soon enough."

Bristol Township Police Detectives are leading the investigation. No suspect has been publicly identified.