Simon Hen was reportedly angry about a pending separation from his wife. She, their three children, and a guest were at the home, and all survived.
Five people were injured in a housefire set Sunday morning by a man who was angry about his impending separation from his wife.
Simon Hen doused himself and the upstairs of the family home in gasoline when he came home at about 2:30 a.m. , angrily yelling as he did so and awaking his two sons, age 21 and 23, who struggled with him over a lighter he was going to use to set the house afire, WPMT reported.
Lancaster Township Police Corporal Robert Burns told WGAL it was “an apparent attempt to take the lives of his family.”
“In an attempt to get the lighter from (their) father, (they) engaged in a struggle, Burns said. “Unfortunately, they were unable to get the lighter from his father, who was able to ignite the gasoline, causing the fire at the residenc.”
Hen, 46, died in the fire, which was confined to an upstairs room and a hallway, and the two sons were severely burned, along with a 19-year-old woman who was also at the house.
Hen’s 17-year-old daughter and his 42-year-old wife suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation.
The sons and the 19-year-old woman drove themselves to Lancaster General Hospital and were transferred to the Lehigh Valley Burn Center, where they were listed in critical condition but expected to survive, WPMT said. The daughter and the wife were taken by ambulance to Lancaster General.
