(La Porte, IN) - Fire damaged a two-story house in La Porte this afternoon.

At around 1 PM, firefighters were called to the 1200 block of Jefferson Avenue at Tyler Street. Kenny Moyer, who lives directly across the street, said heavy smoke was coming from the structure's upper level.

“There was tons of smoke billowing out from the top of the attic,” Moyer said.

Moyer said the smoke dissipated about 20 minutes after firefighters extinguished the blaze.

“We did knock it down pretty quickly,” said LaPorte Fire Chief Andy Snyder.

Snyder said nobody was home at the time. However, the owners were at work when the fire broke out, and firefighters safely removed two cats from the structure.

It appeared the fire started upstairs, and the cause was undetermined but will be investigated. Fire damage was contained to the upper level of the house, while the main story was damaged from water seeping down from the upstairs.