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Community Corner

Fire On Valley Forge Road Claims Two Dogs As Victims

The fire began on the first floor of the home shortly before 6:30 p.m

A fire broke out after 6 p.m. at the home of Matthew Budinko, located at 1876 Valley Forge Road near the intersection of Garfield Avenue in Towamencin.

Jeremy Miller, who lives across the street from the home, saw smoke and ran over to see what was going on.

"I came out to the lawn and saw smoke.  My neighbor Walt and I thought they were burning leaves," said Miller.  "Once we were in the backyard, we could hear the fire alarm going off, and we could see smoke coming out of the vents of the roof."

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The two neighbors banged on the doors of the home, making sure no one was inside.  A few second later, Walt dialed 9-1-1.

Units from Towamencin, North Penn, and Worcester fire companies arrived shortly after to put out the one-alarm fire.

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"As the truck was pulling up, the firemen were literally throwing the hose out of the back of the truck, so they could put water on it right away," said another neighbor, who was watching the scene from across the street.

Fire police quickly shut down Valley Forge Road from Sumneytown Pike to Morris Road, as crews worked to get the fire under control.

Fire crews busted out windows on the first floor to better control the blaze.

Though no injuries were reported, Towamencin Deputy Fire Chief Al Staley confirmed that two animals were harmed by the fire.

Matthew Budinko arrived home shortly after 7 p.m., as crews were still working on putting out the fire.  Budinko was visibly shaken when told about his dogs, and was seen wiping away tears as a neighbor and family friend did their best to comfort him.

"There were two dogs found on the second floor.  We transported the dogs to Gwynedd Veterinary Hospital, but I'm unaware of the dogs status at this time," said Staley.

Towamencin Fire Chief Dean Miller confirmed Monday night that the two dogs had died.

Their names were Max and Hunter, according to the brother of the homeowner.

As of 8 p.m., officials began to investigate the cause and location of the fire.

"The fire is still under investigation.  They found the fire in a first floor area, and they're investigating to determine what caused the fire, as well as where it started," said Staley.

Staley was also quick to point out that the fire may not have started in the kitchen, as was previously reported.

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