ALTON - A single-car garage adjacent to a duplex in the 1200 block of West Ninth Street in Alton was completely destroyed by fire Tuesday evening. 

Alton Fire Chief Bernie Sebold said his department responded to the call around 9:30 p.m. the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 20. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found a single-car garage fully involved in flames near the duplex at 1258 and 1260 West Ninth St. The main structure was not severely damaged, Sebold said, but the fire began melting the siding of 1258 West Ninth St., which was an estimated 20 feet away from the blaze. The duplex was occupied at the time of the blaze, but no injuries were reported. 

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"The radiant heat was beginning to melt the vinyl siding at 1258 West Ninth Street," Sebold said. "Our crews used a single hose line to quickly knock down the fire." 

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Sebold said firefighters were on the scene for approximately 45 minutes. No cause has been found for the blaze, and the tenant from 1260 West Ninth St. told firefighters the garage was virtually undisturbed. 

"He had not seen anyone in the garage for months, and had no indication anyone could make entry into the garage," he said. "All that was out there was old cleaning and maintenance supplies and furniture from previous tenants." 

Because of that, Sebold said the cause of the fire was undetermined and still under investigation. Sebold said the department is trying to contact the property's owner, Rent Solutions, to determine what else may have been stored in that structure. 

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