WILKES-BARRE -- A man died in a home Friday morning in Wilkes-Barre when a fire ripped through it.
That fire gutted everything inside the home on Horton Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Duane Lawrence lived in the home and crews believe they found his body inside Friday afternoon.
Firefighters raced to the home in Wilkes-Barre around 5:30 a.m. shortly after flames started on Horton Street.
The man who lived there was Duane Lawrence.
Luzerne County tax records indicate the home was sold Thursday in a tax sale. Less than 24 hours later, it went up in flames and Lawrence was unaccounted for.
The flames did so much damage, that it was too dangerous for crews to go inside.
Instead they used an excavator to demolish the home piece by piece. About 10 hours after the fire started, authorities found a body.
"Our city police department worked all morning to try to locate him and when we were unable to, this was a part of our investigation to meticulously take the building a part with the understanding there may be someone in there," explained Wilkes-Barre Fire Chief Jay Delaney.
Authorities believe Duane Lawrence is who they found dead in the home, but they plan to check dental records to make sure.
For many residents on Horton Street, the early morning fire was a frightening experience.
The fire also damaged the home next door, forcing out six people temporarily.
"There's fire outside my window, so we just ran outside," said neighbor Tanya Trevethan.
Crews are still investigating exactly what caused the fire. The county coroner wasn't sure whether an autopsy would be scheduled.