Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro may have saved the lives of himself and his family after a suspected arsonist set fire to his residence early Sunday morning.
Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said Monday that Shapiro had inadvertently closed a door in a stairwell that prevented the flames from quickly spreading to the bedrooms where he and his family were sleeping.
Enterline said if the door had been left ajar, the blaze would have “put the governor at greater risk.” But because the door was shut, Enterline said, the rapid movement of the flames was stymied, offering Shapiro, his wife and four children a chance to escape without injury.
Another family was also staying in the mansion and made it out without a scratch after they all celebrated Passover — the Jewish holiday — over the weekend.
According to prosecutors … Cody Balmerconfessed to crimes because he allegedly hates Shapiro. Balmer told police he filled Heineken bottles with gasoline from a lawn mower, took a one-hour stroll to Shapiro’s mansion and scaled a fence.
He said he then set fire to the beer bottles, throwing the Molotov cocktails into the house through a window he smashed with a hammer. Balmer said he also made it inside the house and would have bludgeoned Shapiro if he had encountered him.
After the fire was extinguished, photos surfaced showing the charred remains of the grand room with damage estimated in the millions of dollars.
Prosecutors charged Balmer with criminal attempted homicide, aggravated arson, terrorism and other offenses. Balmer is being held without bail.
