Mom Didn't Show Up for Daughter's Volleyball Game — Then They Found Her House Burned with No Signs of Her By Samira Asma-Sadeque

The family of an Indiana mother is desperate for answers a week after the woman disappeared amid a fire at her home that authorities believe is “suspicious” in nature.

Britney Gard, 46, was listed as missing and endangered after emergency personnel responded to her Bainbridge, Ind. house which had smoke coming out of it on Wednesday, Oct. 1, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

They could not locate Gard inside her home and multiple attempts to contact her were unsuccessful, police said.

Gard was last seen and spoken to on the evening of Sept. 30, the local sheriff’s office said. Her family realized she was missing following the fire.

Her daughter said she knew something was wrong when Gard did not show up for her volleyball game the following day, WRTV reported.

Gard’s sister Stephanie Bowen told the outlet that Gard is her children’s biggest cheerleader and it was uncharacteristic of her to miss her daughter’s game.

Bowen also added that Gard’s vehicle and purse were left at her residence.

“I feel like there’s something bigger here that we don’t know and someone knows something,” she said.

Gard’s family, alongside law enforcement, are ramping up efforts to locate the missing mother of two. They have plastered the town with her picture and physical description, including at gas stations and on pizza boxes, WRTV reported.

Authorities have also used drones to look for Gard in the area, the sheriff’s office said. They had contacted the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to help search for Gard in a pond on her property immediately after her disappearance — but did not have any luck finding her.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The sheriff’s office said in an updated statement on Friday, Oct. 3, that fire investigators believe the fire was “suspicious in nature” and that their findings will be submitted to criminal investigators as the investigation continues.

Gard is 5’9″, 140 lbs. and has long black hair, per the sheriff’s office. Anyone with information is urged to call 765-653-5115.

Her loved ones have set up the Facebook page called “Find Britney Gard” dedicated to raising awareness about her disappearance.