A 91-year-old man in Centre County narrowly escaped disaster after he woke up to find his home on fire tonight.
At least 17 fire trucks from several crews rushed to Howard Divide Rd. just before 8 p.m. to try and get that fire out.
The owner of the house, 91-year-old Horace MccCloskey, says he had a fire was going in his fire place, but he fell asleep on the couch.
He woke up choking on smoke, and says he thinks something was wrong with the flue.
He says he raised his three children in that home and seeing it destroyed is extremely difficult.
“In 1958, I built that myself,” says McCloskey. “Those things will happen but you never think it’s going to happen to you, but you never know.”
He was treated by paramedics, but has no injuries.
The Howard Fire Company Captain tells me they worked to make sure temperatures in the house got cool enough so another fire wouldn’t start.
No word yet on what investigators think started the fire.
McCloskey says despite this tremendous loss he is thankful for his neighbor who gave him warm clothes and is letting horace stay in his home for now.
