A retired New Jersey firefighter died after his lawn mower burst into flames Sunday afternoon, authorities say.
Roger Lippincott, 79, was mowing his yard on Saylors Pond Road in Jobstown around 2:30 p.m. when the machine suddenly caught fire.
Lippincott was severely burned. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials continue to investigate why the mower erupted in flames.
Lippincott was a longtime member of the Springfield Township Fire Company, according to the Springfield Township Fire Company Chief Brian Kokotajlo. He also served as Springfield Township's emergency manager coordinator and taught at Burlington County's Fire Academy.
"It's very shocking," said Lois Thomas, Lippincott's neighbor. "Mr. Lippincott was a fixture in this town."
Chief Kokotajlo told NBC10 in Philadelphia that Lippincott is the second retired Springfield Township firefighter to die in a fire-related accident in the last two years.
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New Jersey State Police are investigating into the deadly blaze, said Kokotajlo.
