VIDEO: Firefighters battle engulfed house north of Springfield

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Moorefield Twp. Fire Chief Rick Foreman said crews could see heavy smoke in the sky while responding to the house fire.

“They were huge. They were probably 15 to 20 feet up in the air and then it just consumed the whole house in minutes,” witness Betsy Krug said.

Krug, of Beavercreek, was across the street at her mother’s house when she saw the flames. She ran over, banging on doors trying to see if anyone was was trapped inside. But the fire was too hot to handle.

“I just kind of had to back off,” she said.

Neighbors were less concerned about the damage, and more concerned about whether the older couple who lived there were inside.

“When we first got here, there was a car in the garage and were concerned but because of the amount of fire we weren’t able to see,” Foreman said.

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“My heart was just in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t breathe,” Krug said.

After firefighters had been battling the blaze for about 20 minutes, the couple who lived in the house drove up, safe and sound.

“I just collapsed. I just collapsed because I was so happy. I was so overcome with fear that they were in there,” Krug said.

The fire destroyed the couple’s home, leaving everything charred. The state fire marshal also is assisting with the investigation.

The fire started in the back of the home, but its cause is still unclear.