Raging fire destroys garage in Aurora, Illinois

A photo showed dramatic flames early Monday as a fire destroyed a garage in the west Chicago suburb of Aurora.

At 1:14 a.m., Aurora firefighters came to the 400 block of Harrison Avenue for the fire. A box alarm and later a second alarm was raised for additional equipment and manpower, with 24 personnel responding, the Aurora Fire Department said.

Firefighters found a detached garage on fire with other structures exposed. The fire was brought under control within about 10 minutes.

No one was in the garage at the time, and everyone in the house in front of the garage was safe, the fire department said. The fire did not damage the house, but the garage, which had two cars in it, was destroyed.

Nearby homes sustained minor heat damage, but the fire did not spread to them, the fire department said.

 "This incident highlights how quickly a fire can spread and threaten nearby structures," Aurora Fire Deputy Chief Kevin Nickel said in a news release. "Thanks to the rapid response and coordinated efforts of our crews, the fire was contained before it could extend to surrounding homes."

The cause of the fire remained under investigation Monday afternoon.