Garage fire in Newton under investigation

A fire ignited in a detached garage Tuesday evening near the 600 block of East 13th Street North in Newton, resulting in minor injuries to a local firefighter who was later seen and released from the hospital, Newton Fire Chief Jarrod Wellik said in a press release.

Newton Fire Department responded to the garage fire at 8:28 p.m. The detached structure was only a few feet away from houses on either side and was fully engulfed when authorities arrived. The flames even melted the siding on the neighboring buildings, Wellik said.

In addition to local firefighters, the Newton Police Department, Baxter Fire Department and Kellogg Fire Department responded to the scene. Wellik said in the press release a quick knockdown of the fire kept the flames from spreading to additional buildings.

Under control within 30 minutes, the fire was completely extinguished by 9:45 p.m. Fire crews remained on scene until 10:50 p.m.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com