tonight police say 32-year-old lynette mcguire and her cousin set fire to the house with mcguire's children and parents inside. "action news" reporter wendy salts plan is live at the fire scene. wendy, the charges indicate this is one horrific family crisis. >> reporter: and, jim, prosecutors spoke exclusively with "action news" telling us that they believe this fire was a ruse to get the four children out of the home so that the mother could snatch them. they also told us that there were allegations of abuse and that's the reason that those children were removed from their parents' care. this blaze destroyed much of a washington township home last night is now being blamed on the owner's daughter lynette mcguire and cousin denise coyle. prosecutors tell us what they believe was her motive for sparking the fire while her parents and four children were inside. >> they started a fire as a pretext to run into the house and tell everyone there's a fire and then grab the four children and abduct them. >> reporter: prosecutors tell "action news" protective services had recently placed the kids in

tonight police say 32-year-old lynette mcguire and her cousin set fire to the house with mcguire's childrens" reporter wendy salts plan is live at the fire scene. wendy, the charges indicate this is one horrific family crisis. >> reporter: and, jim, prosecutors spoke exclusively with "action news" telling us that they believe this fire was a ruse to get the four children out of the home so that the mother could snatch them. they also told us that there were allegations of abuse and that's the reason that those children were removed from their parents' care. this blaze destroyed much of a washington township home last night is now being blamed on the owner's daughter lynette mcguire and cousin denise coyle. prosecutors tell us what they believe was her motive for sparking the fire while her parents and four children were

the gloucester county prosecutor's office says they have now charged 32-year-old lynette mcguire andpping saying that they tried to burn down this house while m mcguire's own children were living inside. flames engulfed the fire and living room of this washington township new jersey home last night. >> it was extreme. it was like instantaneous. >> reporter: today the details of the cause of the fire are being released to "action news." >> they started a fire as a pretext to run into the house and tell everyone there's a fire and then grab the four children and abduct them. >> reporter: brian mcguire tells us the conflict started when child protection awarded his daughter's four kids to mcguire and his wife. their daughter and her cousin then allegedly stormed the house to take the children. >> i looked out and it was my daughter saying get my kids out of the house. i want my kids out of the house and just started freaking out and then forced her way in. >> reporter: the four kids ages three through 14 were inside. >> the grandparents had custody of the four children due to allegation