MONROE - No one was injured when a fire gutted a garage at 113 East Lake Ave. in Monticello on Tuesday night.
Monticello Fire Chief Marlyn Wahl said flames were coming out of the garage on the north side when firefighters arrived on the scene around 9 p.m. Two or three people already had evacuated the home, he said.
The fire began in the garage and extended to the house through a porch roof. When firefighters pulled back the roof, they discovered a second, older roof underneath. The different pitches in the roofs of the enclosed porch created a space through which the fire spread into the kitchen.
Wahl said the house was in "pretty good" shape, but the interior of the garage was totaled. He doubted the structure of the garage was worth saving. The kitchen had no fire damage, but firefighters had to remove some drywall to verify the fire had been extinguished.
Wahl said faulty electrical wiring in the garage likely caused the fire.
Firefighters were able to knock down the flames quickly. The fire call came into the station about 8:45 p.m. while the fire department was having a normal business meeting at the fire station, located about two blocks from the fire. Assistant Fire Chief Jon Eyler said the loss would have been much worse if firefighters had not been so close to the scene.
The New Glarus Fire Department was called in to assist. In all, about 50 firefighters and three trucks were at the scene. Monticello police had traffic on East Lake Avenue rerouted for about three hours.
Monticello Fire Chief Marlyn Wahl said flames were coming out of the garage on the north side when firefighters arrived on the scene around 9 p.m. Two or three people already had evacuated the home, he said.
The fire began in the garage and extended to the house through a porch roof. When firefighters pulled back the roof, they discovered a second, older roof underneath. The different pitches in the roofs of the enclosed porch created a space through which the fire spread into the kitchen.
Wahl said the house was in "pretty good" shape, but the interior of the garage was totaled. He doubted the structure of the garage was worth saving. The kitchen had no fire damage, but firefighters had to remove some drywall to verify the fire had been extinguished.
Wahl said faulty electrical wiring in the garage likely caused the fire.
Firefighters were able to knock down the flames quickly. The fire call came into the station about 8:45 p.m. while the fire department was having a normal business meeting at the fire station, located about two blocks from the fire. Assistant Fire Chief Jon Eyler said the loss would have been much worse if firefighters had not been so close to the scene.
The New Glarus Fire Department was called in to assist. In all, about 50 firefighters and three trucks were at the scene. Monticello police had traffic on East Lake Avenue rerouted for about three hours.