Firefighters in Montgomery County will go back Thursday to a Potomac house that went up in flames on Wednesday night to try to figure out how the blaze got started.

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The three-story house in the 10600 block of Vantage Court caught fire at about 7:30 p.m. The 4000-square foot home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

Samantha Bentolila watched firefighters work on the home in which she'd grown up.

Bentolila had been home with her grandmother when the fire broke out. Luckily, they were able to evacuate to safety, but they weren't as sure about their dog, Luka.

Later Thursday, it was reported that the dog died.

Officials say that the flames were so intense when they arrived that first responders were unable to enter the home. Fire Chief Scott Graham also says that a language barrier caused the residents a 20-minute delay in contacting authorities.

Fire officials said the fire either started in the basement or garage. At one point, the heat from the fire was so fierce, it prevented firefighters from entering the home.

"It's pretty scary," said neighbor Monica Pruitt. "There are a lot of trees around here. That could have been any of us."