Governor serves lunch to firefighters who responded to arson
UNDERWAY, TOM. WELL, LORI AND JERRY, GOVERNOR SHAPIRO AND HIS FAMILY VISITED FIRE STATION ONE TODAY HERE IN THE CITY TO THANK THE FIREFIGHTERS WHO THEY SAY WENT INTO THE BUILDING AND THEY RISKED THEIR OWN LIVES TO PROTECT THE LIVES OF OTHERS. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE DAMAGE STILL BEING CLEANED UP HERE AT THE GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE, JUST BEYOND THIS FENCE, YOU CAN SEE THE MANSION ITSELF, BUT ALSO BOARDED UP WINDOWS THAT ARE BLOCKING THE ELEMENTS FROM GETTING INSIDE OF THIS BUILDING. THE GOVERNOR SAYS THAT THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE ACTIONS OF THE FIREFIGHTERS, WHO DID A GREAT JOB. MAN, AS A SHOW OF THANKS TO FIREFIGHTERS WHO WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO RESPOND ON SUNDAY TO THE GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE. GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO HELPED SERVE UP FRESH FOOD COOKED BY CELEBRITY CHEF ROBERT IRVINE AT FIRE STATION ONE. IT SURREAL FEELING. YOU KNOW, YOU DON’T GET TO DO THIS EVERY DAY. YOU DON’T SEE HIM WALKING IN WITH LUNCH AND EVERYTHING. GOVERNOR SHAPIRO AND HIS WIFE, LORI, SPOKE TO REPORTERS, AND THE GOVERNOR SAYS IT WAS EMOTIONAL. ON THURSDAY, VISITING THE RECEPTION ROOM WHERE THEY HOSTED A RELIGIOUS GATHERING JUST HOURS BEFORE THE FIRE. I THINK WE COULDN’T HELP BUT. THINK ABOUT THE SPOT WHERE THE CANDLES THAT WE HAD LIT TO BEGIN THE HOLIDAY WERE, OR WHERE THE TABLE WAS THAT WE WERE SITTING AS WE LED THE, THE, THE SEDER, THE PASSOVER MEAL. SHAPIRO SAID HE EXPECTS CHANGES IN SECURITY, TECHNOLOGY AND SYSTEMS WILL OCCUR AT THE RESIDENCE IN LIGHT OF THE BREAK-IN AND ARSON. HARRISBURG FIRE CHIEF BRIAN ENTERLINE HOPES INSTALLING SPRINKLERS BEYOND JUST THE KITCHEN WILL ALSO BE PART OF THAT EFFORT. FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM CHANGES THE ABSOLUTE OUTCOME OF ANY FIRE AS LONG AS IT’S FUNCTIONING. YOU KNOW THAT FIRE BECOMES REALLY A MOP BUCKET FIRE. THE. GOVERNOR SHAPIRO ALSO SAID THAT HE EXPECTS THAT HE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE BACK INTO THE RESIDENCE VERY SOON, AND THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE IN A MATTER OF DAYS. ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES, SHAPIRO EVEN SAYING THEY’RE HOPING TO HOST AN EASTER EGG ROLL POTENTIALLY NEXT WEEK HER
Governor serves lunch to firefighters who responded to arson
Updated: 9:03 PM EDT Apr 17, 2025
As a show of appreciation, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family on Thursday brought lunch to Harrisburg firefighters who helped put out a fire at his official residence over the weekend that was set by an arsonist.Shapiro and his family members joined celebrity chef Robert Irvine in serving lunches at Harrisburg Fire Station 1 to give thanks for their efforts in risking their own lives to save others.”That fire could have consumed the entire home, could have taken the lives of the people I love most in life — but it didn’t,” he said during remarks at the lunch.Greg McDonald, a Harrisburg firefighter who helped extinguish the fire, said he was happy that no one was hurt and was grateful for the show of appreciation from the governor and his family.”It’s surreal. You don’t get to see him every day walking in with lunch and everything,” he said.Shapiro told reporters after the event that he expects to see security system and technology upgrades after the breach at the governor’s residence, which authorities say involved a 38-year-old man getting over the fence surrounding the property and lighting fires inside an event hall using Molotov cocktails.Harrisburg fire Chief Brian Enterline said he hopes the fire spurs the installation of fire suppression devices, noting that sprinklers aren’t found in the governor’s residence outside of the kitchen.”A fire suppression system will have a major outcome on any fire as long as it’s functional,” he said. “It really becomes a mop-up fire.”
HARRISBURG, Pa. —As a show of appreciation, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family on Thursday brought lunch to Harrisburg firefighters who helped put out a fire at his official residence over the weekend that was set by an arsonist.
Shapiro and his family members joined celebrity chef Robert Irvine in serving lunches at Harrisburg Fire Station 1 to give thanks for their efforts in risking their own lives to save others.
“That fire could have consumed the entire home, could have taken the lives of the people I love most in life — but it didn’t,” he said during remarks at the lunch.
Greg McDonald, a Harrisburg firefighter who helped extinguish the fire, said he was happy that no one was hurt and was grateful for the show of appreciation from the governor and his family.
“It’s surreal. You don’t get to see him every day walking in with lunch and everything,” he said.
Shapiro told reporters after the event that he expects to see security system and technology upgrades after the breach at the governor’s residence, which authorities say involved a 38-year-old man getting over the fence surrounding the property and lighting fires inside an event hall using Molotov cocktails.
Harrisburg fire Chief Brian Enterline said he hopes the fire spurs the installation of fire suppression devices, noting that sprinklers aren’t found in the governor’s residence outside of the kitchen.
“A fire suppression system will have a major outcome on any fire as long as it’s functional,” he said. “It really becomes a mop-up fire.”
