SANDPOINT — Poor insulation and a deteriorating chimney are being blamed for a Tuesday structure fire in the 400 block of Lake Street that completely destroyed a garage and carport.

The fire, which was reported shortly after 1:30 p.m., started when the homeowner briefly left a fire in the garage’s wood stove unattended, said Sandpoint Fire Chief Robert Tyler.

From inside his house, the homeowner heard windows breaking and went outside to find the garage completely engulfed in flames. By the time Northside, Sagle and Sandpoint firefighters arrived on scene, the blaze had spread into a spare bedroom inside the house. Firefighters quickly doused the flames inside the home and were able contain the fire to the garage and carport.

Crews extinguished the fire shortly after 5 p.m., and Tyler was quick to praise their efforts for minimizing damage to property and human life.

“Our guys performed really well, along with the supporting agencies. Sagle was great and Northside was great,” Tyler said.

The garage and its contents, which included a minivan and motorcycle, were unsalvageable. Besides several broken windows and minor water damage, the home was unharmed. A home located directly north of the garage suffered damage to windows facing the fire.