Firefighters respond to house fire on Portage Avenue in South Bend

South Bend Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 1000 block of Portage Avenue Wednesday afternoon.

The fire started around 5 p.m.

Initial reports say the fire may have started in the basement.

South Bend Fire Chief Mike Lagodney said the piles of snow outside of the home did not hinder the firefighters ability to suppress the blaze.

"It doesn't affect us much if we're inside working. We don't really feel this. It affects us more when we are transitioning and we are coming out and we have to pickup all of our equipment," said Lagodney.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.