Woman Killed in New York Blaze Went Back Inside to Save Dog, Family Says: 'Breaks My Heart'
"She considered her a daughter, so she went back," a family member said of Kashmira Patel, 60
Nassau County Fire Communications/Facebook
The burning homeA family is mourning one of their one after a woman died in a massive house fire in New York.
Officials say the fire broke out around 3 a.m. and that the Herricks home was "fully engulfed in flames" when officials arrived, according to the Nassau County Police.
Seven people escaped the home and are now in stable condition after being treated for smoke inhalation, according to the statement, while "one female was found deceased inside of the home."
Relatives say Kashmira Patel, 60, died after re-entering the home to save her dog, according to NBC New York and CBS New York.
"She considered her a daughter, so she went back," niece Chush Patel told CBS New York. "She actually came all the way to the door, helped her mom out of the house, and then she went back."
The family members were gathered together ahead of a relative's funeral — "then this happened," a community member shared on a a GoFundMe page organized for the family.
"Seven of us figured a way out of the house, whether it was from the main door or the window," a relative wrote in a message shared on the page "My dad’s sister and her dog... tried [to] escape from the back door, and it breaks my heart to say both didn’t make it out."
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Some relatives expressed frustration at the response from Nassau County firefighters.
"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 to NBC New York.
“We were yelling ‘there’s a human in there,'” Bhumi Patel told CW affiliate WPIX. “We’re all just devastated, in shock.”
Nassau County firefighters, who did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, said they were briefly prevented from entering the house due to a downed power line.
Related: At Least 20 Firefighters Injured, 3 Seriously, in Multi-Alarm Staten Island House Fire
“It was actually blocking the front door,” said Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro, according to NBC New York. “They actually jumped over that line and tried to make entry.”
The official said there was also a faulty fire hydrant nearby, but that they quickly found one that worked, per the outlet.
The cause of the deadly house fire remains unknown, although fire officials do not believe it was suspicious in nature, according to WPIX.
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