Flames Engulf Garage in Oceanside

Firefighters battled a blaze early Sunday morning that sparked inside a home garage, officials from the Oceanside Fire Department confirmed.

At around 3:45 a.m., Battalion Chief Pete Lawrence says fire officials began receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a structure fire near Sportfisher and Freeman Streets.

When firefighters arrived, they discovered a detached garage engulfed in flames in an alley behind 415 Freeman St.

Chief Lawrence says the flames were threatening nearby power lines. The fire sparked near an adjacent home and an apartment building to the south.

A total of 20 firefighters working with four engines and one laddertruck, were able to contain the blaze within 15 minutes. SDG&E officials also responded to the scene to secure surrounding power lines.

Officials say the garage and a nearby apartment sustained significant fire and smoke damage estimated at $30,000. There was no damage to the primary adjacent house, which officials say is for sale and unoccupied. No one was injured.

After digging through the rubble, fire investigators determined that the blaze stared in a wastebasket in the garage. Due to extensive damage, the material that actually ignited inside the wastebasket could not be immediately determined, officials said.
 

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