Arson

Building owner charged in blaze that killed firefighter

By 

Associated Press

June 29, 2022 3:31am 

 Updated

Authorities have charged a building owner in Philadelphia for lighting a blaze that caused a building collapse and killed a firefighter.EPA

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PHILADELPHIA — The owner of a Philadelphia building that caught fire and collapsed this month, killing a city firefighter and injuring five other people, has been charged with setting the blaze, authorities announced Tuesday.

Al-Ashraf Khalil, 28, also lied to authorities probing the June 18 fire and later flew from the United States to Jordan after telling investigators he had no travel plans, officials said. However, he was refused entry to Jordan and was arrested Friday at an airport in New York City. Authorities said they used handcuffs that had the deceased firefighter’s initials on them.

Khalil’s attorney, R. Emmett Madden, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his client had no role in starting the fire, adding that “he has and will continue assisting fully in this ongoing investigation.”