A former member Harleysville Community Fire Company is accused of setting fire to his own residence in Lower Salford. Local authorities arrested Paul Jason Resnick, 43, of Huckleberry Lane, on Monday and charged him with two felony counts of arson, insurance fraud and risking catastrophe. He has also been charged with eight misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment from an April 4 incident.

            At 8:34 a.m. on April 4, the Lower Salford police was dispatched to assist Harleysville fire fighters with a house fire in the 300 block of Huckleberry Lane. A witness reported that he could see smoke and flames coming out of the window. Three officers observed heavy smoke and fire coming from the back of the residence, according to the police criminal complaint filed in the Franconia court of District Judge Albert J. Augustine.

            When the fire fighters battled the blaze, a man who identified himself as Resnick approached one of the officers at the scene and said he left the residence at 8:18 a.m. The man provided a statement, written by his ex-wife, regarding his actions prior to the blaze, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

            Later in the day, Resnick informed law enforcement officials that he received an alert on his phone that the fire department responded to a blaze at his home – where he lived with his two sons – and that he did not have any candles lit on the day of the fire, the legal document states.

            The following day, Resnick appeared unexpectedly at the police station and informed authorities of a new residence on Montgomery Drive, and that his home was insured through the State Farm Insurance Agency for $200,000 above its value in order to cover the loss of personal property.

            On April 9, during a scheduled interview with police and Donald Lynch – the township's fire marshal – Resnick allegedly admitted he was responsible for causing the fire at his residence. After his son left for school at 7:20, he set a candle in the living room and placed a blanket over it prior to leaving. Resnick intended to cause smoke damage to his home so he could get enough insurance money to fix it up and sell it, according to court records.

            In a May 7 statement posted on the fire company's website, President Christopher Ott and Chief Kevin Wasson expressed their sadness to hear of Resnick's arrest, but declined to comment further. Resnick had been suspended from the fire department with intent to terminate, and he has since resigned, according to the statement.

            Augustine set bail in the case at $2,500 unsecured during a preliminary arraignment Monday. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for noon on May 22, according to information posted on a state judicial website.