Pennsylvania Family Learns Their Home Was Engulfed in Flames While at Eagles Game: 'Pretty Surreal'

Mar. 15, 2025

Derek Sandstrom’s Pennsylvania home caught fire while he and his family were at the NFL playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Jan. 19.Photo:Newberry Township Fire Department/Facebook; Derek Sandstrom

Newberry Township Fire Department/Facebook; Derek Sandstrom

A central Pennsylvania family who traveled to Philadelphia to watch the Eagles play the Los Angeles Rams got some devastating news while at the game.

Derek Sandstrom, of York County, told NBC affiliateWGALthat a neighbor called him during the first quarter of the Sunday, Jan. 19, divisional playoff game.

“He said, ‘Your house is fully engulfed in flames,’ " he recalled to WGAL.

“You can imagine,” Sandstrom toldPennLive. “It’s loud there in the stands. It was a festive, crazy environment. People were high-fiving and fist-bumping each other. And I hear my house is destroyed. The news amidst all of that was pretty surreal.”

A short time later, the family started receiving photos of their burning home from neighbors – and before the first quarter even finished, the Sandstorms were headed back to their home in Newberry Township.

TheNewberry Township Fire Departmentsaid in a Facebook post that crews reported a one-and-a-half-story single-family home on fire around 3:30 p.m. local time. The department added that the incident had been upgraded to a two-alarm blaze.

“Initial reports suggested potential human life inside; however, it was later confirmed that all occupants were away when the fire started,” according to the fire department’s post.

“Crews persevered, overcoming challenges including inclement weather,” according to the fire department. The cause has been deemed “unintentional.”

The Sandstrom’s home caught on fire on Jan. 19, 2025, in York County, Pennsylvania.Newberry Township Fire Department/Facebook

Newberry Township Fire Department/Facebook

After completing the three hour drive back home during a snowstorm, the family returned to their home destroyed, according to PennLive.

“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,” Derek told WGAL.

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“They took us through the house,” he recalled. “The firemen said it’s a total loss. Most of the house is gone. There isn’t any furniture. It’s all burned up. Most of the exterior walls are gone. Where you used to see a wall, now you see the backyard. It’s destroyed. We’re going to be starting over.”

Fortunately, the family is now staying with relatives and receiving help from their church, according to PennLive.

“You have to start again. I don’t know how this works,” Sandstrom told PennLive. “We have faith in God to get us through all this.”

WGAL reported that the family was able to catch highlights of the game the day after. (The Eagles defeated the Rams 28-22 to advance to the NFC title game on Sunday, Jan. 26.)

AGoFundMehas been created to help the Sandstroms following the fire.

source: people.com