Police are investigating whether a fire that gutted a Lindenhurst home was intentionally set.

The flames broke out around 1 p.m. Monday at a house on Halycon Road.

The homeowner apparently stabbed himself at a neighbor's residence while his house became engulfed with family members still inside. Neighbor Mark Boyko says that as the flames began to spread, the homeowner ran to Boyko's home and calmly asked for a drink of water.

"(He) took one of my kitchen knives and stuck it in his throat," Boyko says, adding that the homeowner also asked where his wife was.

Neighbors say the homeowner's wife and child ran out of the house to safety. They say the couple and their three children lived in the home for several years.

At this point, it is unclear exactly how the fire started.

Crews from the fire marshal's office and Suffolk police were assessing the damage. The house is now condemned.

Neighbors identified the homeowner as Abraham Rodriguez. Police say he was taken to the hospital to also be treated for burns. Rodriguez will also undergo a psychiatric evaluation.