Man found dead after setting house fire

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Officials say the man found dead in a hallway was trying to set his ex-girlfriend's home on fire.

Virginia Beach fire crews discovered the body of 54-year-old Bryan Herzog inside of a home early Sunday morning after they were called to the area for a working house fire in the Pungo section of the city.

Crews arrived on the scene in the 1600 block of Nanney's Creek around 2:15 a.m. after a woman awoke to find her bedroom engulfed in flames. She escaped through a window and went to a neighbor's house for help, according to Grazia Moyers with the Virginia Beach Police Department.

While firefighters were inside the house, they discovered Herzog's body lying in the hallway and notified homicide investigators. Officials say Herzog had suffered smoke inhalation and thermal injuries from the fire, but his exact cause of death is still under investigation.

Tim Riley with the Virginia Beach Fire Department says the cause of the fire was determined to be arson.

Riley says Herzog allegedly set the fire by pouring a flammable liquid throughout the home.