FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP -- A couple's dream home was destroyed by fire in Carbon County early this morning.
There is nothing left of a house off Evergreen Road near Lehighton -- only a foundation and chimney for a fireplace remain. Six hours after the alarm sounded, there were still signs of flames.
Fire officials say the blaze was intense. Leaves from a tree that was 50 feet away were wilted.
Owner Roman Sarafin is heartbroken. "I was working on it for seven years on it and now there is nothing there," Sarafin said.
Sarafin's wife, Zofia said she is devastated. "The pictures, books, furniture -- everything is gone," she said.
The couple said their dream home was destroyed. They live in New Jersey and hadn't moved in yet. Zofia Sarafin said their trip to Franklin Township from the Garden State was nerve-racking, as if they were fearing the worst and hoping for the best.
"We were thinking 'you don't know maybe there not such to worry about,' so we seen everything we couldn't believe it," Sarafin said.
Fire officials say the blaze had a good start. When they arrived, only one wall was standing. Fire Chief Bruce Wolfe said the home was in a remote area.
"It took us a while to find which road to go up. The main road to find the driveways to go up to the place so it was totaled. We got our truck but it was tight getting up there," Chief Wolfe said.
Franklin Township police and a State Police fire marshal are trying to determine what started the blaze in the couple's dream home.