Fire destroys Indian Hills garage, 2 vehicles

A two-story garage in Indian Hills was destroyed by fire Saturday morning.

The roof of the 2,000-square-foot structure had collapsed when firefighters arrived for the 10:34 a.m. fire located at 3443 Carnelian Way.

A mezzanine attached to the structure collapsed, and gasoline from two vehicles kept reigniting during the fire, East Fork Fire Capt. Terry Taylor said.

Firefighters were able to protect the home that was eight feet away from the burning structure.

The building belongs to David and Jody Steele. Taylor said Mr. Steele smelled something from one of his vehicles when he parked it in the garage. A short time later, Mrs. Steele spotted the fire.

The fire was officially extinguished at 12:15 p.m. Taylor said firefighters had to clear out the contents of the garage to get at the fire.

In addition to the structure, the Steeles lost a 2010 Toyota 4-Runner and a 1996 Buick Regal.

Taylor said he suspects a vehicle is responsible for the fire.

"There was no natural gas to the building and at the time there were no electrical items being used," he said. "We had black smoke right after the fire started, so that indicates there was fuel involved."

Taylor estimated the damages to the structure and contents at $160,000.