Chimney fire ruins garage

A rotted stovepipe led to a chimney fire that badly damaged an unattached garage Sunday morning, according to the Brookline Fire Department.

No one was injured, and the house at 8 Mason Road was not damaged.

The fire, started by a wood stove, was reported at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, said Brookline Fire Chief Curt Jensen.

“There was smoke all the way down to the floor in the garage,” he said. “We went to the interior, tried to put it out, but it had gotten into the wall and into the roof area.”

Firefighters cut holes in the roof to release the smoke and finally extinguished the fire. Jensen said the building was standing but would probably require extensive repair.

Jensen said firefighters pulled the stove apart and found the stovepipe “was rotted in the bottom,” allowing the fire to escape into the brick chimney.