SOUTH HAVEN | Investigators looking for the cause of a fire that badly damaged a one-story home here Thursday afternoon have eliminated all accidental causes and are turning the case over to the Porter County Sheriff's Department, officials said.

South Haven Fire Chief John Kepshire reported the results of the Porter County Fire Investigation Strike Team initial findings late Thursday evening.

No one was injured in the blaze at 724 Juniper Road, which was reported by a neighbor about 4:45 p.m.

The homeowner, Charlie Riegle, was in his detached garage in the rear of the home at the time.

His daughter, Ashley Riegle, 14, said she was in her room and walked out to the garage to talk to her father.

"Two minutes after I was out of the house, there was smoke coming out of the kitchen window," she said.

Ashley Riegle said she thought the fire might have started in her father's bedroom. FIST investigators agreed the bedroom was the initial site, Kepshire said without elaborating.

For Charlie Riegle, who has lived in the home for 10 years, it wasn't the best start to a Fourth of July weekend.

"Not exactly the fireworks I was looking forward to," Riegle said.

Firefighters from South Haven were assisted at the scene by Portage firefighters.