Early morning fire in Atascadero destroys garage

An Atascadero family’s year got off to a bad start as their garage erupted in flames early Sunday morning.

The fire started just after 3:30 a.m. at the residence at 8605 San Gregorio Road.

Crews responded to the home to see a working fire in the garage of the residence that had spread to part of the home. The fire ripped through the roof of the structure and caught overhead branches from a tree on fire.

The couple made it out safely, however their cat and dog were stuck inside. First responders rescued the cat from under a bed, the dog made it safely out of the burning garage.

Crews managed to contain the fire to the garage, which was used primarily as a hobby workshop.

Firefighters said the fire was started by a space heater that made contact with some flammable material.

There was about $15,000 worth of damage to the garage and the interior of the home. But no one was injured.