(New Carlisle, IN) - A family escaped injury during a house fire in New Carlisle Thursday afternoon.

At about 4:15 pm local time, first responders arrived to a home in the 700 block of Potawatomi Drive, where a garage was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to the rest of the house. Three residents home at the time were able to escape unharmed. The American Red Cross is helping them find temporary housing, but authorities say most of the living space sustained only minimal damage.

The fired was determined to be accidental, but an exact cause was not disclosed.

Members of six fire departments assisted in the call. Authorities said incidents like this are a good reminder for residents to test smoke alarms monthly and to ensure that everyone in the home knows two ways out of every room.

*Photo courtesy of Robert Middlebrook