CENTER HARBOR – A one-alarm fire Tuesday caused by sparks from a welding job burned down a garage and damaged another one, but was stopped before it reached a house a few feet away.

“We made a good save,” said Fire Chief John Schlemmer.

No one was injured.

The fire was reported at 3:11 p.m. at 121 Daniel Webster Highway. When firefighters arrived, they found the garage fully engulfed in flames, and there were two potential flame exposure problems, a nearby home and another garage.

Firefighters from Meredith battled the flames on one side of the 75x75-foot building while Center Harbor crews fought from the other side. The fire was brought under control in about 40 minutes, he said.

Another garage behind the building has some light fire damage to its roof, but the nearby house was undamaged.

The fire was accidental in nature, Schlemmer said, as the garage had been used for welding projects in the past. The fire was caused by some sparks reaching a wooden wall, he said.

Schlemmer said fire crews were able to save the house because his department responded at 3:12 p.m. and crews were at the scene starting to battle the flames at 3:21 p.m.

“That’s something I’m very proud of,” he said. “Our response time may have saved a house.”

The fire also brought a strong turnout of volunteers for a daytime summer fire, he said.

“We got 7 or 8 firefighters out today, that’s pretty good for a summer day, people are usually working and it’s hard to get people out for a fire,” he said.

Assisting Center Harbor and Meredith in fighting the fire were departments from Ashland, Holderness, Sandwich, and Moultonborough.

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