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Butler County home destroyed by fire

A Butler County family lost nearly all of their personal belongings after their Butler County home was destroyed by fire Thursday.

A woman in her 50s and her adult son, a veteran who served in Iraq, lived in the home on Bear Creek Road in Buffalo Township. They were home at the time the fire broke out and were not hurt, but four dogs died in the blaze.

Members of the close-knit community said they are worried about the impact of the fire on the family, as they must now find a new place to live.

John Payne, a neighbor who doing yardwork, noticed something wasn’t right. Payne said he saw the fire and called 911.  He said, at first, it wasn’t clear if they might still be inside.

“The cop and the guy from the landscaping company kicked the door in on the far side of the house and smoke was pouring out,” Payne said. “We're neighbors, they're friends. It's pretty devastating.”

It was not clear as of Thursday afternoon how the fire started, but it apparently originated in the kitchen.