A Pokagon Township home sustained massive interior damage from a brief fire that erupted inside the home Wednesday morning.

The fire broke out at around 8:40 a.m. inside a residence located next to the Pokagon Township Fire Department, on Front Street off Pokagon Highway. According to first responders, a neighboring household reported that smoke was emerging from the house, with fire crews from Pokagon and Indian Lake Fire Departments arriving shortly thereafter.

“When we arrived, we did a size up of the situation,” said Pokagon Township Firefighter Bob Jones, who was acting captain at the scene. “We had the fire knocked down within two or three minutes.”

Though the cause of the fire is still under investigation, crews determined that blaze originated from the inside of a closet within the building. Though there appeared to be only minor exterior damage as a result of the flames, there was a lot of smoke and fire damage inside, especially near the closet, Jones said.

“I would say there was pretty extensive damage to the interior of the house,” Jones said.

No one was home at the time of the fire, though a pet gerbil was missing during firefighters initial investigation.

This is the second time this year that fire crews had responded to an incident at the house, Jones said. Earlier this year, they were called to the home after it had been encased in smoke from a pan that had been left on the oven, after the homeowner rushed out of the home a few hours earlier.