LAKES OF THE FOUR SEASONS | An early morning blaze Wednesday destroyed a single-family home on Lake Holiday, but the owner escaped without injury thanks to his dog.

Lakes of the Four Seasons Fire Chief Kevin Radtke said homeowner Jeff Dyer's pooch alerted him to the blaze, which began about 2:15 a.m. at 2501 E. Lakeshore Drive. Dyer was the only person in the home at the time of the fire. The dog also escaped without injury.

When firefighters reached the site just minutes after receiving an emergency call, the home already was engulfed in flames, Radtke said.

Radtke said his department hooked up to a hydrant and used tanker trucks to pour more than 60,000 gallons of water on the fire.

"We had to make a defensive attack as the floors were already collapsing, and it was unsafe for firefighters to enter," Radtke said. "Two cars in the driveway were also on fire. All we could do was make sure the fire did not spread to nearby homes."

The home was a total loss, estimated at about $300,000, Radtke said.

No cause has yet been determined, and an investigation of the blaze is scheduled to begin today.

Radtke said it took more than an hour to extinguish the flames, and firefighters remained on the scene until 9 a.m. to put out hot spots.

Several other fire departments assisted, including Crown Point, Hebron, Boone Grove, Washington Township, Morgan Township, Union Township and Hobart.