EDEN PRAIRIE (WCCO) -- A tower of smoke could be seen for miles in Eden Prairie Thursday night after a large house went up in flames.

The house, which is located on the 6900 block of Edgebrook Place, caught fire at around 6:30 p.m.

According to the Eden Prairie Fire Department, when firefighters arrived, the homeowner, Bob Schmidt, was standing outside and suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. He was taken to HCMC for his injuries.

The fire reportedly started in the garage and was fueled by several cars. Firefighters say it had a significant head start by the time they were called to help.

The Edina, Minnetonka and Chanhassen fire departments assisted in knocking down the fire. The house ended up with smoke damage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No one else was hurt.

Schmidt was interviewed by WCCO-TV two years ago when a small plane crashed in his backyard. Back then, Schmidt rescued the pilot from the fiery wreckage.