An early morning house fire destroyed an elderly Largo couple's home in the 900 block of North Palm Drive Southwest.

Fire officials tell Bay News 9 they received the call shortly before 9:30 a.m. and raced to the scene.

Within minutes, they say, the fire was under control. They are now zeroing in on a bedroom where they believe the fire broke out and at this point, they say an electrical problem could be to blame.

Claude Sprague, the homeowner, told Bay News 9 exclusively that he was at work when he received the call from emergency officials telling him that his house was on fire and that his wife was in the hospital.

Claude's wife, Sylvia, had been sleeping when the fire broke out and somehow managed to get out safely, he says. The couple's 4-year-old family pet wasn't so lucky and died inside the house.

"I've lived here for 25, 30 years," Sprague said.

When we asked him what it was like to see the house now, he responded, "It's heartbreaking. It's just everything we own."

Neighbors said they are in disbelief that it would happen to such a nice couple and that it hit so close to home.

"This is the first time I've been this close to something like this and it puts a lot of thoughts in my head about my home," said Peggy Harwood, who lives a block away.

"I feel bad," said Nikki Harwood. "He works so hard. He's elderly and he's still working to make a living. For his house to go up in flames like that it sucks."

When asked what will he do now, Claude said, "I don't know. I have no idea."

If there is a silver-lining, Claude said he does have homeowner's insurance.

