No one was injured in the fire or the explosion, police said. Firefighters put out the flames.
An investigation identified Townsend, 37, as the person who allegedly set the fire, and he was taken into custody around 5:30 a.m. on Friday, police said. The Chambersburg Police Department wants to assure the community that this was an isolated incident stemming from a domestic issue between Townsend and a female. The Chambersburg community remains safe, police said.
According to Bietsch, the vehicle was a 1991 Ford Ranger pickup truck owned by a person known to Townsend. The individual is not the woman involved in the domestic issue with Townsend, but they were connected to it, Bietsch added.