Fire destroyed an SUV and a detached garage at a Birchwood neighborhood home Saturday afternoon, but quick work by firefighters spared the nearby house.

"It was a very timely stop, apparently," said Battalion Chief Andy Day of the Bellingham Fire Department. He said the garage at 3248 Firwood and the vehicle, a Toyota 4Runner, were mostly lost. The single-family home at that address suffered some heat damage to its exterior, he said.

A dispatcher took the first call at 1:29 p.m. and the fire was reported "knocked down" at 1:39 p.m., he said. Some 19 firefighters from both Bellingham Fire and nearby Fire District 8's Marietta station were dispatched.

Cause of the fire remained under investigation Sunday. A damage estimate was pending.