(LaPorte) - Two house fires within hours of each other kept LaPorte firefighters busy Sunday  night.

The first occurred around 6:00 Sunday at 1411 I Street. With a station just three blocks away, units responded quickly. If not, things could have been much worse. "It was pretty substantial the amount of fire that was coming from the residence at that time," says Fire Chief Andy Snyder. "The garage was pretty severely damaged, there was smoke and water damage throughout the house from the fire, and two vehicles in the garage were also damaged." Snyder says a house next door was also slightly damaged from the heat of the flames.

The home's residents, a husband and wife, were able to escape, thanks at least in part to passersby who alerted them.

Another call came in just after 12:30 at night from a house at 907 Linwood. Snyder says the porch of that residence caught fire. The homeowner noticed the flames and escaped the home with his wife. Firefighters got that blaze under control quickly before it could spread to the rest of the house.