Family learns about house fire while at Eagles playoff game
The house was ruled a total loss
By Sarah Metts
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NEWBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — On Sunday, a York County family took the trek to Philadelphia to attend their first Eagles game of the season.
The playoff win against the Rams ended up being the only good thing to come out of the trip.
Right after Jalen Hurts took off for a 44-yard touchdown in the first quarter, Derek Sandstrom received a phone call from his neighbor.
“He said, ‘Your house is fully engulfed in flames,'” Sandstrom said.
Derek, Sheri and Carter left the game in the middle of the snowstorm to head back to their burning home on Hemlock Lane.
“Everybody was in the midst of, you know, celebrating that when the call came in,” Sandstrom said. “It was very hard to take the ride back.”
The Newberry Township Fire Department responded to the home around 3:30 p.m. Crews quickly upgraded it to a two-alarm fire.
The Sandstroms say when they arrived at their house the fire was out, but the damage was done.
“Seeing it in the daylight was maybe more shocking because you could actually go into the place and walk around and see all the things that used to be there or the, you know, kind of burned up remains of what is still there,” Sandstrom said.
The house was ruled a total loss, and the cause is undetermined according to the fire department.
A firefighter slipped and fell on the ice outside of the home. That person had to be taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Sandstorms are staying with family at this time, and they say the support they’ve received has been overwhelming.
“People just showing their love and prayers and support has been really, encouraging,” Sandstrom said. “We know we have a team behind us, which is very helpful.”
The Sandstorms were able to watch some game highlights once things settled on Monday night.
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