Fire early this morning destroyed the home of Joseph P. Steele on South Main Street in Chicora. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, but a fire official said it may have been sparked by a wood burner. Steele escaped unharmed and his dog was rescued.

CHICORA — A homeowner managed to escape a fire early this morning that destroyed his 128-year-old home in the borough’s business district.

Chicora firefighters later rescued the owner’s dog that was in a cage in the two-story wood-frame house at 110 S. Main St., authorities said.

The state police fire marshal’s office has been called in to investigate, but the blaze shortly after midnight did not appear to be suspicious.

A wood-burning stove used to heat the home may have sparked the fire, said Chief Jason Miller of the Chicora Volunteer Fire Department.

Joseph P. Steele, who lived alone at the house, was up but by the time he noticed the fire, it had gotten a head start, authorities said.

Miller said the fire appeared to have started in the back of the house in the area of the wood burner.

Steele used a fire extinguisher but he quickly had to retreat from the home when he noticed the fire had already made it to the second floor.

The first on scene, Miller saw flames shooting out all the upstairs windows.

“On the first floor, I could see heavy fire in the back of the house,” he said.

Some 50 firefighters from nine departments battled the blaze. An attack crew going through the house found Steele’s dog, pulled it out of the cage and rushed the animal outside.

“The dog was given oxygen and seemed to be OK,” Miller said.

A veterinarian was to examine the dog today.

The growing fire caused initial concern that it could catch onto another house next door, fire officials said.

But the other house as well as the Chicora Veterans of Foreign Wars post on the opposite side of Steele’s house apparently were not damaged.

The fire was under control in about an hour, but hot spots kept firefighters on the job for another two hours.

Miller estimated damage to the house and it contents at $100,000. It was not immediately know if Steele had insurance.

The house was built in 1886, according to records at the Butler County Assessment Office. Steele bought the home in 1994.

Authorities said Steele is temporarily staying with family in the Chicora area.