A Philadelphia man was sentenced on Thursday to serve up to six years in state prison for setting a fire that damaged a Bucks County business and injured a Croydon firefighter.

Shayne Holland, 26, pleaded guilty in November to two counts of arson and one count each of reckless burning, criminal mischief, possession of explosive or incendiary material and disorderly conduct.

On Thursday, he appeared before Common Pleas Judge Gary B. Gilman who sentenced him to 2 ½ to six years in state prison with a consecutive sentence of four years of probation.

The Nov. 5, 2023, fire caused more than $1,000,000 in damage to Bucks County Carpet Company, 801 Cedar Ave., Croydon. Holland was identified as the arsonist from surveillance video from nearby businesses with cameras facing the building.

“Arson is a crime that by its very nature puts firefighters and other first responders at risk,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber said. “Firefighters’ families are left to worry every time their family members answer the call to duty.”

Albert Fournier, a captain with the Croydon Fire Co., was fighting the fire from inside the building when the catwalk he was on collapsed. He fell more than 12 feet from the attic area to the first-floor and a beam then landed on top of him.

Fournier, now a battalion chief, and his wife provided victim impact testimony on Thursday.

The investigation found that Holland set fire to a pile of trash next to the Carpet Company building. The fire spread in the building and extended up an exterior wall and into the attic, forcing the evacuation of 10 residents in an attached building.

During the investigation, Bristol Township Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito gathered surveillance videos from multiple nearby businesses.

The videos showed a man, later identified as Holland, walking down State Road and into a gas station. Police compared those images with other pictures of Holland to confirm he was the arsonist. Dippolito testified at Thursday’s sentencing.

“This case was a true nightmare scenario for Battalion Chief Fournier and his family,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Furber said. “We can all be thankful that he escaped serious injury. It was the decision by one person, the Defendant, to light this fire and create untold destruction and risk to residents as well as firefighters. Today’s sentence recognizes that the split-second decision to light a dangerous fire will result in long and life changing consequences for the arsonist.”

This case was investigated by the Bristol Township Police Department, with assistance from Bensalem Township Police Department. Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber prosecuted the case.

Media Contact: Manuel Gamiz Jr., 215.348.6298, mgamiz@buckscounty.org