An explosion preceded a fire that burned a large detached garage on Fort Wayne’s north side Monday afternoon.
Jim Benya, who lives in a house behind the garage, said he was in his kitchen when he heard the explosion and saw flames shoot out a window of the garage.
“I heard a blast, not a real big one,” he said.
Benya, 76, called 911 and went to check on the residents of the house.
“I banged on the door, and there wasn’t anybody home,” he said, adding that he didn’t think anyone was in the garage.
About 4:45 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to the garage at 717 Florence Ave., near State and Sherman boulevards.
Deputy Chief Mark Nelson said the entire structure was burning when the fire department arrived.
The flames were quickly extinguished, and no injuries were reported.
The cause was not immediately known, Nelson said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
