2 people killed in Butler County house fire

Two people are dead after a house fire tore through their home along Old Route 68 in Butler County on Monday evening.

Neighbors told KDKA-TV that the woman inside the home called 911 to report a couch fire before the call suddenly dropped as flames continued to spread.

The couple had reportedly lived here for years, and now, a day after the fire, the destruction left behind is impossible to miss.

Windows remain burned and blown out with black char covering much of the house, and pieces of the home and its contents are scattered outside.

One emotional neighbor who didn't want to be identified says that by the time they heard the sirens, the fire was already too advanced.

"Unfortunately, by the time I even heard sirens, it was too late. It was well an hour into responders being there," the neighbor said. "I was able to go down to witness with friends and family, but it was too far gone at that point."

State police say crews were called here around 5:30 p.m. Monday after receiving reports of a house fire. But after firefighters got inside, they found two people dead.

The same neighbor added that the victims were a husband and wife in their 70s, and the couple's adult child's dog also died in the fire. He said the victims were the parents of a friend and said the loss is hitting the community hard.

"It's an incredible blow to our friends. We're very close, obviously, family is everything around here. It's a very close-knit community as well, so it's painful."

As investigators work to determine exactly how this fire started, neighbors are left mourning the sudden loss of a couple many knew for years.

State police have not yet released the identities of the victims. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.