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Moon Twp. Community Devastated After Home, 2 Dogs Lost In Explosion

MOON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) --  Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a massive explosion that leveled a home in Moon Township.

Fire officials and Peoples Natural Gas were seen combing the scene Friday.

Erica Arreola tearfully apologized to neighbors about the huge blast that rocked the neighborhood Thursday. But, no one in the area is blaming her.

"It didn't register at first. I'm like 'this can't be real.' It was almost like a dream," said neighbor Robert Rackie said.

Neighbors are recounting the horrible moment when the blast went off. Rackie lives right across the street.

"I kept hearing these, 'boom-boom,' and I said what the heck is going on? So I came back up the steps, I look out the front door and saw his house. At that point it was basically gone," he said.

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Ryan and Erica Arreola were back at the scene Thursday, still in shock and assessing the damage at what used to be their home. They got the bad news that their dogs, who initially survived the explosion, had to be put down.

"He basically lost everything. Lost his dogs... he lost his home, his clothing. Poor guy has nothing now. He's just lost everything," Rackie said.

Neighbor Mary Collins lives right next door. While her house received some minor damage, she credits firefighters with preventing it from burning down.

"One of them saw flames were coming to our house, hosed our house down and saved it," she said.

Friends of the homeowner have started a GoFundMe for the owner of the destroyed home.

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