Firefighters were first called out to the home, inside the Kekionga Shores subdivision, on Saturday afternoon around 1:30 p.m.  Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the basement, however the house suffered significant smoke and water damage.  Firefighters had to cut a hole in the home's roof, and break out several windows, to let the smoke escape. Firefighters had the fire under control by 3:00 p.m.

No one was home at the time of the fire. Neighbors say a 76-year old woman lives there alone.

Firefighters were called back out to the fire at 7:21 p.m. Saturday, after a report of more smoke coming from the home.  Firefighters found a small spot fire and put it out quickly.  They remained on the scene for an hour and a half and tore up some walls and ceilings searching for more hot spots.

"We wanted to make sure we left there with no hidden fires," Capt. Bob Amber of the Fort Wayne Fire Department said. "There was a large amount of family collectibles that hampered putting out fires. We took out only enough to find hidden fires, but not things that could be damaged by the weather outside. Unfortunately, we should have done a little extra."

At 4:10 a.m., neighbors called 911, to report flames coming from the home.  By the time firefighters arrived, the house was fully engulfed in flames.  The house is a total loss.

"There were flames right outside my window and I was panicked," Roberta Watson, who lives next door to the house on fire, said. " I was very grateful and thankful the fire didn't come to our house. I compliment the firefighters; they did a wonderful job keeping this fire contained."

Amber said when they were fighting the huge flames, some of which shot 20 feet in the air, they concentrated on keeping the other home safe. The crews used aerial ladders to help target the center of the fire. Hazmat crews were also on the scene to keep fire run-off out of the nearby lake.

Amber said there's a fine line between damaging people's property searching for possible fires and not quite looking enough. But, for the fire on Wapiti Drive, the sheer volume of things the owner had kept in the house likely contributed to the fire re-kindling twice.   

No one was injured in the fire.  Fire investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the original fire.