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Fire Heavily Damages Stowe Twp. Home

STOWE TOWNSHIP (KDKA) - A Stowe Township home was badly damaged by fire Monday morning.

Despite losing everything, the homeowner said he's thankful things turned out the way they did.

The Stowe Township Fire Marshal said there were some tense moments this morning. Initially, they were unsure if the homeowner was inside.

The fire started around 6 a.m. at a home on Woodward Street in Stowe Township.

Crews braced themselves and rushed in looking for Todd Sparks, who firefighters initially believed to still be inside.

"We weren't sure. We knew there was one person who lived in the house. We did not know at that time whether he was there or not," Stowe Township Fire Marshal Martin Jacobs said.

"I just woke up. Ready to start my day and then this happened," Sparks said.

Sparks said he was at his mother's house last night, who's been ill. He said it was a miracle that he wasn't at home.

"Thankfully, I wasn't there. Who knows what could have happened? I just hope nobody gets hurt, that's my main concern," Sparks said.

None of the firefighters were injured as they battled the three-alarm fire. Neighbors heard what sounded like explosions, which was most likely glass windows blowing out, according to fire officials.

"Fire was fully involved on the first floor of the building. It appears to have started, right now, in the living room area," Jacobs said.

While they know where it may have started, it is still unclear how it started.

Sparks said while he had previously been living at the house, he was preparing to rent it out. The utilities, including the gas, had been shut off. Once neighbors saw the flames, they called Sparks immediately, after calling 911.

"As you see now, all my stuff was still there and I basically lost everything at this point," Sparks said.

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