Three home invaders reportedly tied up a Dover man and set fire to his home on Friday.

The man was able to escape the blaze uninjured, but a Dover police officer suffered a leg wound while checking the home to make sure no one was inside.

The injured officer was taken to Kent General Hospital where he received stiches, police spokesman Cpl. Mark Hoffman said Saturday.

“He was running from the front to the back, thinking someone might have been inside the house,” Hoffman said. “He climbed up, lost his footing and impaled his lower leg on the fence.”

The Dover Fired Department was called to the burning home at 409 E. Water St. about 7:10 p.m., according to company spokesman Mike O’Connor.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, which was limited to the kitchen, he said, adding that the home sustained heavy smoke damage.

The 23-year-old resident told police that three men forced inside the home and then demanded money. The resident did not produce any money and the men tied him up and started the fire before driving off in a white, four-door SUV with a sunroof and luggage rack, Dover Police Department spokesman Lt. Daniel McKeown said.

The home invaders are described as black and between the ages of 18 and 25.

One is about 6 feet 3 inches tall, roughly 250 pounds and was dressed all in black. A second is 5 feet 8 inches tall, between 220 and 240 pounds, and wore a gray sweatshirt. The third is about 5 feet 7 inches tall, about 150 pounds and wore a green sweatshirt.

Anyone with information about the home invasion or the identity of the three home invaders is asked to call Dover Police at 736-7111.

Anonymous tips also may be submitted to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333 or by visiting http://Delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.