(La Porte County, IN) - A house outside La Porte was destroyed by fire today.

 

Firefighters from multiple agencies were called to a structure fully engulfed in flames before 12 p.m. at 302 W. 250 South just west of U.S. 35 near Kingsbury.

 

Shirley Pontius said she and her husband, Barry, were inside their home not knowing there was a fire until a man began pounding on her front door.

 

“I came around the corner and saw all of this smoke and we got out of the house,” she said.

 

Mrs. Pontius said her dog also made it out of the single story residence safely but felt her cat was still inside.

 

She said she was doing paperwork for her husband’s business, “Barry’s Carts,” when they were alerted to the fire.  Her husband customizes and restores golf carts.

 

It appears the fire started in the attached garage and spread to a pick-up truck parked in the driveway and the residence.

 

Ray Wolff said he was more than a mile from the house when he saw smoke.

 

He was heading to the home of his parents who live close to where the fire occurred and was more than a mile away when he first saw smoke.

Wolff said firefighters acted quickly in doing what they could to try and save the house.

 

“The garage was fully engulfed. The truck in the driveway was fully engulfed pretty much,” he said.

 

The house appeared to be a total loss not just because of the fire but damage from smoke and water.

 

The cause of the fire was not immediately known but will be investigated by the Scipio Township Volunteer Fire Department.