Dixie Weaver, 75, of Orrstown, and her late husband poured their hearts into building what they called their forever Franklin County home in 2008.

The one-story house at the 10400 block of Tanyard Hill Road in Southampton Township later became a shared space for their tight-knit family, which included her great-grandson, great-granddaughter, and a married couple from the family who lived in the basement.

But everything changed unexpectedly in the early hours of Aug. 19 when fire ripped through the home, trapping Weaver on a front porch.

Her daughter, son-in-law, and grandson live next door. The grandson awoke to screaming. The family ran over to Weaver’s home, but as they tried to get closer, the extreme heat pushed them back.

“I had no shoes on, and I ran as fast as I could to try to

See Full Page