Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro; his burned house. Photo:

Commonwealth Media Services

• Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s Harrisburg home was set on fire in the early hours of April 13 in a suspected arson attack
• Fire Chief Brian Enterline has since told reporters that “it would have been a totally different fire and a totally different outcome” had certain doors not been closed, per Fox News
• Suspect Cody Balmer, 38, has been arrested in connection with the incident and is facing charges including attempted murder, terrorism and aggravated arson

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro having certain doors closed inside his Harrisburg home when it was set on fire in a suspected arson attack over the weekend could have saved lives, the fire department has said.

On Sunday, April 13, at approximately 2 a.m. local time, “members of the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire responded to the Governor’s Residence, located on North Front Street, Harrisburg City, Dauphin County, for the report of a fire,” Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) said in a news release. 

Cody Balmer, 38, has since been arrested and is facing charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, burglary, reckless endangerment and loitering, as well as two counts of aggravated assault, PEOPLE previously reported. 

While speaking to reporters on April 14, Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said “it was a very surreal scene” when he arrived to help tackle the blaze “about 15 minutes into it,” per a clip shared by Fox News.

A photo of the damage after Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home was set on fire. Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty

Enterline said that he asked Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) to bring in the arson investigation team after seeing the evidence.

He recalled of the fire, “Luckily, for the governor and his family, there were doors closed between that main portion of the ballroom and the hallway that leads to the main and master staircase going to the second floor.”

“It would have been a totally different fire and a totally different outcome, most likely, had that door not been closed,” the fire chief added, per the clip shared by Fox News.

Shapiro, 51, was in the home with his family at the time of the suspected attack when he “woke up to bangs on the door” from the PSP not long after, he wrote in a statement previously shared on X.

A photo of the damage at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence. Commonwealth Media Services

It was the south wing of the governor’s residence that had been badly damaged, per the Associated Press,

According to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE, suspect Balmer allegedly admitted to entering the official governor’s residence and igniting several “homemade incendiary devices,” with the intent to “commit a violent offense intending to affect the conduct of government.”

Balmer allegedly told police that he broke into the governor’s residence at around 1:30 a.m. ET on April 13, by scaling a perimeter fence and breaking two windows. Officers alleged in the complaint that he confessed to throwing homemade Molotov cocktails made of gasoline siphoned from a lawn mower into empty Heineken bottles.

Cody Balmer. Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office/AFP via Getty

In an interview with the PSP, Balmer allegedly admitted that he was prepared for violence when the home was set ablaze — and he was aware that he would face consequences.

Balmer allegedly expressed hatred for Shapiro, who was considered for the role of Kamala Harris‘ running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is pictured with authorities after the fire. Commonwealth Media Services

When asked what he would have done if Shapiro confronted him in person during the apparent arson attack, Balmer allegedly said he would have beaten the governor with the hammer that he used to break the windows, according to the complaint.

Shapiro, a Democrat, was sworn in as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania in January 2023. He previously served as attorney general from 2017 to 2023, chair of the board of commissioners in Montgomery County from 2011 to 2017 and state representative from 2005 to 2011, per the state’s website.

The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.