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 At 11:45 PM last evening the Duluth Fire Department responded to a report of a garage fire at 319 N 62nd Ave West.  Upon arrival firefighters found a detached garage adjacent to the alley that was fully involved.  The flames were scorching a neighboring garage and impinging on a propane tank positioned between the two buildings.  The heat from the fire had also started burning a motorhome parked on the far side of the alley.  There was an additional hazard due to a powerline that had burned off and was arcing a short distance from the burning garage.

Firefighters began fighting the fire with hose lines and also used them to keep the propane tank cool to prevent it from exploding.  The neighboring garages were wet down to prevent the fire from spreading to them.  The motorhome door was breached to extinguish a fire inside of the vehicle.  At one point the roof caved in on the garage and made overhaul difficult to accomplish. There were no injuries during the firefighting operations to any civilian or firefighters.  The firefighting operation took about 1 1/2 hours to accomplish.

The damages from the fire include total destruction of the garage and it's contents, which included a restored 1953 Plymouth.  The neighboring garage was scorched but the fire did not enter the structure.  The motorhome was significantly damaged by the exposure to the fire.  A garage across the alley had the vinyl siding warped by the heat of the fire.  The paint on the propane tank was blistered but the tank did not breach.  Initial damage estimates are $40,000 for buildings, $20,000 for contents, and $25,000 for vehicles.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Duluth Fire Marshall's Office.

The family lost electric power to the home but was able to stay living there.  The power company will be able to restore the electricity within 12 hours.