Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Chief Curt Vandertie says the simple decision to keep a door closed may have saved a detached garage from being destroyed Friday night.

Firefighters were called out to a home on N. Stevenson Pier Road just before 10 p.m. after the homeowners noticed that their garage was on fire when they saw a flickering light in one of the building's windows. The home When firefighters arrived, they noticed dark, black smoke billowing out of both ends of the building and some flames near the roofline. The homeowners opened the door to the garage and noticed that the garage was filled with smoke. They closed the door and tried controling the fire from the outside with their garden hose until firefighters. Vandertie says the decision made by the homeowners to close the door was the difference between losing the entire building and its contents to a fire and having the building and its items suffer smoke damage.

With the help of Southern Door Fire Department, Nasewaupee Fire Rescue, Sturgeon Bay Fire Department, Luxemburg Community Fire Department, and about 100 gallons of water, the fire was quickly put out and crews were able to clear the scene in about 90 minutes. Vandertie says nine units and 17 firefighters participated in the effort, which included using Carmody Park as a water supply. The cause of the fire is still unknown and remains under investigation.