Garage destroyed by fire

SANDUSKY — A garage in Sandusky was declared a total loss after a fire broke out in the structure late Thursday night. Just after 11 p.m., first responders were called to the 500 block of Rockwell St. for a report of a garage on fire. Dispatchers told firefighters while they were on the way to the scene that the fire was out, then countermanded that and advised it was still on fire. Firefighters arrived to find a detached garage of a single-storey home that was fully engulfed in smoke and flame, according to a Sandusky fire incident report. Sandusky fire Capt. Matt Lesch directed firefighters to attack the fire and directed others to set up a supply line to a nearby hydrant, the report states. The flames were quickly knocked down, but firefighters continued to douse the structure to ensure that no embers remained. A crew pulled a water line into the home in case the fire spread to the residential structure. They did not find any fire in the home but there was smoke damage. Firefighters used a thermal imager to look for hotspots and cleared the entire attic. No one was injured. The three residents of the home advised firefighters that they did not need Red Cross assistance and that they would board up the two windows on the home that shattered due to the fire. One of the residents told fire commanders that he was burning logs in a fireplace in the garage and went into the home briefly. When he returned, the garage was on fire, the report states. The garage was declared a total loss, with $50,000 in property value and $20,000 in contents value. Perkins firefighters assisted with dousing efforts as they were called for automatic mutual aid.