Fire destroys garage-shop east of Empire

Fire destroyed a detached garage-shop and its contents Tuesday night north of Highway 132 between Empire and Waterford.

Damage was estimated at $50,000 for the structure and $50,000 for its contents, said Eric DeHart, Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District battalion chief.

Crews from Stanislaus Consolidated, the Modesto Fire Department, and the Hughson and Keyes fire protection districts responded to the structure fire on Creekside Lane east of North Hopper Road just before 7 p.m.

The 20-foot-by-50-foot building was engulfed in flames when crews arrived, but the fire was controlled within about 10 minutes.

The cause is being investigated, but the fire did not appear to be intentionally set, said Kevin Wise, Stanislaus Consolidated battalion chief.

No one was injured, DeHart said; both occupants of the nearby residence said they were in the house at the time.

The garage-shop was old, possibly dating to the 1950s or older, DeHart said. It contained tractors and farming implements, DeHart said.

This story was originally published July 8, 2015 at 9:42 AM with the headline "Fire destroys garage-shop east of Empire."