A woman was killed in a devastating house fire on Long Island after she went back inside in an effort to save her beloved dog.
The fire burned through the home in Herricks early Tuesday morning, and as investigators dug through the shell of the house, fire officials are not sure what may have sparked the flames. Seven people escaped the inferno, but family members said Kashmira Patel ran back inside to save her dog, and didn't make it back out.
"They are standing and watching, that's it. It looked like the movies," said her brother, Tarun Patel.
The family members were critical of the emergency response, claiming firefighters arrived at the Lafayette Street home but didn't pour water on the flames right away.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
"I asked them why didn’t you spread the water because my sister is there. They said no, we cannot go in," Tarun Patel said.
The Nassau County fire marshal said the fire was already raging by the time firefighters got to the scene.
"They were hampered by a downed power line that they couldn't cross, it was actually blocking the front door. They actually jumped over that line and tried to make entry," said Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The fire marshal said there was also a faulty fire hydrant on Herricks Road, but firefighters found a working hydrant very quickly. Kashmira Patel had been visiting her relatives, gathering to mourn the patriarch of their family who had passed last week.
But now the family is left preparing for another funeral.
A GoFundMe has been started for the family that lost everything in the massive fire. A cause is under investigation.
