A garage on Glacier Trail at Porter Beach was destroyed by fire on Saturday, the Porter Fire Department said.

Fire Chief Lewis Craig told the Chesterton Tribune today that firefighters were dispatched at 5:04 p.m. to 2830 Glacier Trail, the home of Richard Paulsin, in response to a report of a house fire. On their arrival, Craig said, firefighters found the home’s detached garage already “totally involved” and the blaze threatening the house itself, located up a flight of stairs from the garage.

The PFD—assisted by the Chesterton, Burns Harbor, Liberty, and Portage fire departments—connected a three-inch hose to a hydrant located at the intersection of Wabash Ave. and Bote Drive, then walked the hose west on Bote Drove into this extremely cramped section of Porter Beach and, once at the scene, hooked a Y link to the hose, Craig said.

The first priority: attacking the fire on the house itself, Craig said, since the garage by this point was basically a lost cause. Firefighters saved the home—which did sustain some burn damage to its siding—then turned their attention to the garage below.

The garage, however, was lost, as was a 2011 Cadillac parked inside the garage.

An investigation by the Porter County Fire Investigation Strike Team determined the probable origin of the fire to be in the Cadillac’s engine compartment and ruled the fire accidental, Craig said.

Paulsin, Craig added, advised that he smelled smoke a few minutes after returning to his home and parking the car in the garage.

Total estimated damage to the structure, Craig said: $10,000. Total estimated damage to its contents: $46,000.

Craig was unable to say how much water was used to extinguish the blaze, as it was flowed directly from the hydrant.

Also on the scene: Porter Police, Porter hospital EMS, and National Park Service personnel.

No one was injured in the fire.

The PFD cleared the scene at 7:54 p.m.

Posted 7/30/2012