-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
A Fort Dodge firefighter directs a stream of water onto a remaining hot spot after firefighters had mostly extinguished a blaze in a garage at 412 N. 16th St. Sunday afternoon.

A two-car garage was destroyed in a blaze Sunday afternoon in Fort Dodge.

No one was injured, and firefighters stopped the flames from spreading into a nearby house.

The fire was caused by a candle that was left burning while no one was around, according to Fire Department Lt. Nathan Conrad.

The fire at 412 N. 16th St. was reported at 2:48 p.m. The garage is located along an alley behind the house at that address.

When firefighters arrived, flames were billowing from the garage and getting close to the rear of the house.

“We were able to knock those flames down as quickly as possible,” Conrad said.

The fire burned through the walls on the east, west and south sides of the garage. A Chevrolet Impala parked in front of the garage sustained heat damage. There were no vehicles in the garage.

“There were some kids back there and they had a candle going,” Conrad said. “It was too close to a wall.”

He said they left the garage and when they went back to it later they found smoke coming from it. The youths grabbed a garden hose from the house next door and tried to put the fire out while a neighbor called 911. That neighbor also told them to get away from the burning garage.

According to online records of the Webster County Assessor’s Office, the property is owned by Daniel and Sharie Ball, of Duncombe.

Fort Dodge firefighters and police were on the scene for about an hour and 15 minutes.