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Police Seek Serial Arsonist In Bucks County

LOWER MAKEFIELD, Pa. (CBS) -- Police in Lower Makefield, Bucks County are now searching for an arsonist who has torched seven structures in the township in the past month.

Chief Ken Coluzzi says the most recent fire--early this morning--was set inside a barn. Luckily, a passing off-duty police officer spotted the flames, warning the owners and sounding the alarm, which enabled firefighters to stop the fire before it consumed the barn.

Evidence gathered by investigators now indicates that the fires have been set with gasoline, creating hot, fast-burning and potentially deadly blazes.

The police chief says that so far, porches, sheds and gazebos have been set on fire. In one arson, a sleeping homeowner woke just in time to escape after opening his front door to find flames consuming his porch.

Adding to the threat, Coluzzi says that all of the fires have been set between the hours of 4 and 6 a.m., when most people are sleeping and more likely to be trapped by spreading flames. He urges homeowners to carefully secure windows and doors and to immediately alert police if they see anything suspicious.

Watch the video...

Reported by Walt Hunter, CBS 3

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