Crime & Safety

Horsham Officials Investigate 'Suspicious' Fires

Several fires broke out early Saturday morning within minutes of each other.

Fire crews from , and Bucks County worked to put out fires in Horsham and neighboring Upper Moreland around 1:45 a.m. Saturday.

The handful of fires, which broke out in several locations on Blair Mill Road, are classified as "incendiary," according to Horsham Fire Marshal George Fida. He said on Monday that both Horsham and Upper Moreland officials, as well as the county fire marshal and the state police are investigating the fires. 

According to 6ABC, the first fire broke out at Blair Mill Apartments, in the 3800 block of Blair Mill Road in Upper Moreland. When crews arrived, they discovered some trash dumpsters and one of the building's laundry rooms ablaze.

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Around the same time, 6ABC reports that a police officer noticed a dumpster on fire at the Blair Mill Village Apartments, across the street in Horsham. The flames spread to the apartment building and firefighters had to use ladders to rescue two people inside. 

There are no reports of injuries. According to an American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania disaster report emailed Monday morning to the media, four Horsham families, totaling eight individuals, were impacted by Saturday's fires. 

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Horsham Fire Company Chief Tim Flanagan said later Saturday morning that there are no suspects at this time for the fires, which appear to have been set. 

"The fire is suspicious, however still under investigation," Flanagan said. "Police and the fire marshal continue the investigation."

Shortly after the pair of fires were reported, Hazmat crews were called to the , also located on Blair Mill Road in Horsham, after a hazardous material spill inside a truck set it ablaze around 2 a.m., according to 6ABC.

As a precaution, employees working at the facility were evacuated.

Two employees were taken to Abington Memorial Hospital after they were reportedly sickened by toxic fumes.

It was not clear if the UPS blaze was in any way related to the previous fires, which broke out minutes before and a short distance away.

A firefighter for Hatboro's Enterprise Fire Company, said crews were dispatched a second time to Blair Mill Village East Apartments around 7:30 a.m. 

Around 9:30 Saturday morning, Upper Moreland Police Department sent an alert through Nixle notifying residents that an "arsonist" was setting fires in the laundry rooms at the apartment complex. The alert urged residents to lock doors and call police about suspicious persons. 


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