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Unbeknownst to them, that spin would result in saving the lives of Hipolito and Valerie Garcia, who had just moved into the neighborhood Sunday, and the life of the Garcias' granddaughter, who was staying with them.
Before driving home, the Sammets decided to take a turn down Santa Fe Drive.
"It's weird, we've lived here for so long. We never travel on that road," Greg Sammet said.
About 10 p.m., the couple approached the Garcias' home at 8 Santa Fe Drive in Warwick Township, where they noticed flames coming out of the garage.
"We immediately stopped," Greg Sammet said. "I told my wife to dial 911 on her cell phone, and I ran up to the house."
He then banged on the front door while screaming for whoever was inside to get out.
"The heat coming from the garage was so intense that I had to step back in a matter of seconds," Greg Sammet said. "I was then standing on the front lawn screaming for people to get out."
Hipolito Garcia soon opened his door to discover that his home was on fire."We were asleep on the first floor at the time," Garcia said. "As soon as I opened the door, I went back in the house and got my wife and granddaughter," Garcia said.
No one was injured in the blaze.
"They saved our lives," Garcia said. "And everyone in this community, people that we didn't even know, opened their arms up to us."
Millie Saez, a neighbor in the Rothsville development, saw the blaze from her front window and knew she had to help.
"I came down with other neighbors to make sure everyone was OK," Saez said. "We found Valerie and her granddaughter. I saw Valerie didn't have any shoes on, so I went and got her a pair of flip-flops."
Another neighbor, Suzie Young, brought a blanket and clothing for the Garcias' granddaughter.
Young's husband, Gordon, is a volunteer with the Rothsville Fire Department.
"As soon as he saw the fire, he left the house and went right to the station," Young said of her husband. "He got suited up and came right back out here with his fellow firefighters."
(742) (319) (45) (14) (13) (11) (11) (9) (5) (5) (3) (3) (3) (2) (2) (2)Another Rothsville firefighter in the neighborhood, Josh Lamb, did the same.
"I woke my wife and told her to run up there and make sure everyone was OK," Lamb said. "I would have helped immediately, but there's not much anyone can do with a garden hose."
Companies from Lititz, Rothsville, Neffsville, Farmersville, Brunnerville, West Earl, Lincoln and Ephrata responded to the fire.
Lamb said about 25 Rothsville firefighters helped to put out the blaze.
Lititz fire Chief Sam Young visited the home Monday morning with Fire Marshal James Dewalt.
Young said Dewalt determined that the fire had originated in the engine of the Garcias' Lincoln Navigator, which was parked in the home's garage.
The blaze was reported at 10 p.m. and marked under control by 10:42 p.m.
Hipolito Garcia said he didn't smell any smoke or hear any smoke detectors that would have alerted him or his wife of the fire. The home sustained major damage to the garage and second floor.
"The fire protection in the wall was so good that it kept the fire from reaching the inside of house on the first floor," Hipolito Garcia said.
With the home almost entirely destroyed Sunday night, the Garcias needed a place to sleep.
Neighbor Dale Long pitched in to provide shelter for them.
"The (Garcias) needed a place to stay," Long said. "I had them stay at my home."
Hipolito Garcia said the couple's important items were salvaged from the fire.
"We salvaged everything like my marriage license and identification and my kids' pictures, everything that's going to be important in the long run," he said. "Other than that, everything else, material stuff, is replaceable."
Gathered with family and neighbors Monday evening, Valerie Garcia said she could not have been more grateful for all the help.
"I just want to thank the people in this neighborhood and the fire companies that helped," she said. "They all just went above and beyond."
Susquehanna Red Cross provided toiletries for the family.
As for the future, Hipolito Garcia said he believes everything will be fine.
"It looks like the repairs to the home are going to take about six to eight months," he said. "In the meantime, I'm going to try to get an apartment to stay at."
E-mail: jwalk@lnpnews.com
