(La Porte County, IN) - A fire early Thursday morning has left a young La Porte family without a home.

 

Just after 7 a.m., firefighters from multiple agencies were called to the single family residence at 9796 S. County Road 225 West near Union Mills.

 

“Definitely not a good way to start the New Year,” said Jeremy Russell.

 

Russell said they were all at home when he woke up to the smell of smoke. He discovered the fire inside the attached garage and got his girlfriend, another adult, and their two young children out of the home. 

 

Noble Township Fire Chief Scott Klemz said the flames spread into the ceiling of the attached garage, then advanced into the attic of the home, and down into the kithen and one of the bedrooms. He said the rest of the home was mostly heavily damaged from water and smoke. The only thing left from the garage was primarily ashes that firefighters had to scoop with shovels.

 

“The house is probably a total loss, too,” Klemz said.

 

A car parked in front of the attached garage was also destroyed after ignited by the extreme heat radiating from the blaze. Klemz said the cause was still under investigation, but early indications point to a space heater in the garagem which was not on at the time, but was still plugged in.

 

After the fire was extinguished, family members were allowed to go inside and start retrieving whatever belongings they could find that weren’t damaged by the fire.

 

“It’s all gone.  All of the bedrooms.  All of it,” Russell said.

 

Russell said he wasn’t immediately sure where his family would stay until getting back on their feet.

 

“I don’t know to be honest with you,” he said.