A house fire at 1459 Veden Road on Thursday would have caused far more damage had not the residents been home at the time, the Chesterton Fire Department said.

Lt. Aimee Gilbert told the Chesterton Tribune today that the CFD was dispatched to the home at 12:54 p.m., after occupants reported smoke in the two-story home. The first responder on the scene, Fire Chief Mike Orlich, reported smoke coming from a second-floor window and by the time the engine arrived, shortly thereafter, there was already a light haze on the ground floor, Gilbert said.

Firefighters located the blaze in an upstairs sitting room and found curtains, a window sill, and the floor beneath burning. They were able to douse the blaze with a small pump can of water, Gilbert said.

Nevertheless, Gilbert estimated damage to the structure at $15,000—firefighters were forced to open the lathe and plaster wall to check for extension—and smoke damage to contents at $15,000.

Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Gilbert said that the suspected place of origin was an electrical outlet under the window. She added that the house’s wiring looks to be very old.

“It’s a good thing the folks were home,” Gilbert noted, as the house sits far back from the road and it might otherwise have been some time before a passerby reported it.

No one at the scene was injured.

The CFD cleared the scene at 2:29 p.m.

Posted 10/5/2012