Fire Marshals are investigating what caused a huge fire that destroyed a home in Dauphin County this afternoon. The family was able to escape unharmed but some of the families cats died in the fire.
CBS 21 news was first on scene. This fire started around 2:30pm at a home on Forest Hills Drive. Neighbors say they heard a huge explosion then saw the flames.
A CBS 21 viewer's camera caught this Lower Paxton Township home at the 2300 block of Forest Hills Drive, engulfed in flames. It was so bad, that in no time at all, the two story home started to collapse.
Jason McCarthy, Witness:
"We came up to the house, the whole porch was in flames. And we were the first ones here. We saw the couple run out and they were worried about the cat and everything."
Heather Smith, Witness:
"It's devastating. I feel very sorry for the owners."
Firefighters say when they got there, the fire was already ahead of them.
Dan Crum, Assistant Fire Chief, Linglestown Fire Company:
"We were behind the curve from the get go with the bulk of the fire that we had when we got here."
The fire kept spreading. Finding enough water was a problem at first. Outside crews had to bring more in.
Assistant Chief Crum:
"Up in this area it's a rural water supply. The hydrants are pretty far apart. So we have to bring tankers in."
Scott Reigle, Witness:
"Once they got they water rolling up here it went down pretty quick. The timing was bad."
The homeowners didn't want to talk on camera. They sat with neighbors across the street, watching the entire time.
Firefighters were able to control the blaze around 4:00pm, but then it reignited, and even more parts of the roof started coming down.
Firefighters left the scene between 6:30pm and 7:00pm. The cause is still under investigation.
CBS 21 news was first on scene. This fire started around 2:30pm at a home on Forest Hills Drive. Neighbors say they heard a huge explosion then saw the flames.
A CBS 21 viewer's camera caught this Lower Paxton Township home at the 2300 block of Forest Hills Drive, engulfed in flames. It was so bad, that in no time at all, the two story home started to collapse.
Jason McCarthy, Witness:
"We came up to the house, the whole porch was in flames. And we were the first ones here. We saw the couple run out and they were worried about the cat and everything."
Heather Smith, Witness:
"It's devastating. I feel very sorry for the owners."
Firefighters say when they got there, the fire was already ahead of them.
Dan Crum, Assistant Fire Chief, Linglestown Fire Company:
"We were behind the curve from the get go with the bulk of the fire that we had when we got here."
The fire kept spreading. Finding enough water was a problem at first. Outside crews had to bring more in.
Assistant Chief Crum:
"Up in this area it's a rural water supply. The hydrants are pretty far apart. So we have to bring tankers in."
Scott Reigle, Witness:
"Once they got they water rolling up here it went down pretty quick. The timing was bad."
The homeowners didn't want to talk on camera. They sat with neighbors across the street, watching the entire time.
Firefighters were able to control the blaze around 4:00pm, but then it reignited, and even more parts of the roof started coming down.
Firefighters left the scene between 6:30pm and 7:00pm. The cause is still under investigation.