A fire broke out at the official residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in the early hours of Sunday, prompting police to evacuate the governor and his family. No one was injured in the incident, which is now being treated as arson, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The blaze started overnight on the first night of Passover, a Jewish holiday that Shapiro and his family were observing at the mansion in Harrisburg, the state capital. The fire caused serious damage to part of the riverfront building, particularly a large room used for events and art displays.
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Governor Shapiro, a potential Democratic candidate for the 2028 US presidential election, said his family was asleep when they were suddenly woken up by police.
“We heard banging at the door around 2 a.m. — it was the Pennsylvania State Police,” Shapiro said in a statement quoted by AP. “Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished.”
The windows and door is damaged from an overnight fire at the governor’s official residence on Sunday, April 13, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP)
The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire arrived at the scene to put out the flames while state police evacuated the family. Authorities confirmed the family had been in a different section of the mansion at the time.
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By Sunday afternoon, fire damage was still visible on the mansion’s south side. A police officer and a dog were seen patrolling near a security fence, and an alleyway was cordoned off with yellow tape.
Shapiro often splits his time between the governor’s mansion and his family home in Abington, about 100 miles away. Just a day earlier, he had shared a photo of his family’s Passover Seder table on social media.
Pennsylvania State Police are leading the investigation, supported by other agencies. “We are prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson,” police said in a statement to AP. They have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on Sunday said the governor's residence was set on fire. (AP) 
The windows and door is damaged from an overnight fire at the governor’s official residence on Sunday, April 13, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP)
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