ODGEN DUNES | Fire destroyed a home in Ogden Dunes early Sunday morning and engulfed nearby homes in heavy smoke as firefighters battled the blaze.

According to Ogden Dunes Fire Chief Eric Kurtz, firefighters were dispatched to investigate a smell of smoke in the 1200 block of Ogden Road at 7:33 a.m. and as they approached the address, saw smoke and flames coming from the home at 75 Hillcrest Road.

Firefighters from Portage, Burns Harbor and Union Township assisted in battling the blaze for more than an hour and a half.

No one was inside the home when the fire broke out and no one was injured fighting it, Kurtz said.

Kurtz said the Porter County Fire Inspectors and strike team determined the fire was accidental in nature.