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WILKES-BARRE — The trial of a teenage volunteer firefighter who battled a blaze he is accused of setting got underway Thursday in Luzerne County Court.
Richard Thomas Hart, 19, is accused of starting a blaze that destroyed a Casey Avenue residence in the early morning hours of Dec. 21. Hart, the son of Wilkes-Barre Township Fire Chief Richard Hart, is charged with arson, reckless burning and related offenses.
According to the criminal complaint, Hart admitted he gained entry to 115 Casey Ave. through a rear door after chasing a cat. He allegedly kicked a can of gasoline and dropped a cigar onto the fluid that ignited the blaze. Hart left the residence and went home where he later awoke to his pager alerting him to the fire.
The trial is expected to conclude Friday.