(La Porte County, IN) - A chicken coop was heavily damaged in an overnight fire outside La Porte.

At About 2 a.m., firefighters responded to the 1700 block of North 100 West in Center Township, where a man reportedly woke up to his dog barking before spotting his chicken coop on fire.  La Porte County Police said the roughly 10 X 15-foot structure was mostly burned.

The property owner, Eric Wallenius, told investigators there were about 20 chickens inside the coop. Three of the chickens were confirmed as having perished.

Police noted that there was a heating lamp and water heating system in the coop, but no light was shed on whether the electrical devices had anything to do with the fire.