South

The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.

A Dauphin County man is talking about the moments leading up to the fire that destroyed his home and what he tried to do to stop it.

It was around 9 p.m. Monday when Anil Saini, his wife, two children and in-laws escaped their Derry Township home as flames fanned by high winds engulfed the residence.

"I see where the fire is coming from. There was a very small fire on some part of the roof. I took a garden hose, but the fire just spread and spread," Saini said.

He said there was a strange smell when he arrived home about an hour earlier.

"Rubber burned," he said.

But he didn't notice anything until fire alarms started going off.

By the time firefighters arrived, it was too late to save the six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home Saini had built in 2019.

The loss is estimated at $1.7 million.

"Hopefully we'll be able to start construction soon, and we'll do it all over again," Saini said.

Investigators determined the fire originated in the interior of the roof but are still looking for the cause.

Despite losing almost everything they own, family members are grateful they still have each other.

"The important thing is everybody's safe. Nobody got hurt. Our house, we can build it again," Saini said.