A state police fire marshal in the Poconos is investigating to see if a fire that destroyed a home near Mount Pocono started from illegal fireworks.
A burnt-out shell of a home and some charred piles of belongings are all that's left of a house in a private development near Mount Pocono.
Now, a family of eight: six children, from one year old to fifteen, no longer have a place to live.
"It's horrible. I'm just thankful that everyone got out alright and no one got hurt," said Diana Thomas of Henryville.
Thomas lives next door and says she watched the house burn.
She also has an idea what caused the fire.
"We used to have kids with bottle rockets, shooting them off, running around with bottle rockets. You're scared. You're worried about what's going to happen are you going to lose your property," said Thomas.
She was then asked if she believes a firework started the fire at the house next door. Her reply, "Yes I do, yes I do,".
The state police fire marshal is investigating and says the blaze started under the front deck of the home.
He ruled the cause of the house fire undetermined.
He believes fireworks could be a possibility, but didn't find any evidence of fireworks in the rubble.
But neighbors strongly believe illegal fireworks are to blame.
Especially Diana Thomas from next door.
"There were fireworks all over the place. From my deck, I could look outside. And you could see them over the tree lines. All over the place," said Thomas.
Thomas says she's been living in this private community near Mount Pocono for 25 years and says when the fourth of July rolls around each year, she takes her own safety precautions.
"We don't go anywhere for the holidays. We stay home because of this reason. It's my biggest fear, every fourth of July. Every Labor Day. Because of the illegal fireworks and with that house burning next door. That's what I worry about," said Thomas.
The family of eight is being cared for by the Red Cross and the family is hoping to find another home.