A fire destroyed a home in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, on Friday morning. The homeowner was the only person inside the house on Roundtop Drive when the fire started. He woke up to his smoke detector going off and tried to put the fire out himself. The fire got too big and he got out.
The man was taken to the hospital for assessment. His two dogs died in the fire.
The call for the fire came out around 3:15 a.m. When crews arrived, they said it appeared the home had already been burning for some time.
The fire destroyed the large home. Part of the roof collapsed, leaving only a stone façade standing in one part. Given the size of the home and the size of the fire, crews planned to remain on scene to make sure everything had gone out.
A Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal is investigating the cause.