Pennsylvania

Arson investigation underway after fire at vacant learning center in Bucks County

Firefighters respond to the scene of an incident.
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Investigators believe a fire that broke out inside a vacant learning center in Bucks County early Saturday morning was intentionally set.

According to officials, police and fire crews responded to the Willie Wee Learning Center located on Norton Ave in Bristol Township around 2:30 a.m. after a 9-1-1 caller stated there was a fire and kids were trapped in the basement.

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Upon arrival, officials said no one was found in or outside the building. The fire was contained in a storage closet in the basement and officials ruled it an arson.

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The learning center is owned by Norton Ave Baptist Church, and a representative stated that homeless individuals have been found in the building in the past, officials said.

The learning center, along with several other buildings around it, is slated for demolition to make way for a three-story apartment building, officials said. One of the other buildings, formerly a pantry, was the site of another arson back in January.

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