Photo by Deb Gau The wreckage of an auto shop on East Railroad Street could be seen Friday afternoon. The fire, which was reported around 3:13 a.m., destroyed the building and caused minor damage to neighboring property.

IVANHOE – A fire reported in the early hours of Friday morning destroyed an auto shop in Ivanhoe, and took the efforts of several fire departments to put out, the Ivanhoe Fire Department said.

A structure fire was reported at an Ivanhoe automotive business on Railroad Street, around 3:13 a.m. Friday, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department said. Fire departments from Ivanhoe, Tyler, Lake Benton, Hendricks and Arco were all called to the scene, as well as Ivanhoe Police, the Ivanhoe Ambulance, and the Sheriff’s Department.

Firefighters worked to contain the fire, as the business was located close to downtown buildings in Ivanhoe, said Ivanhoe Assistant Fire Chief Don Scholten. Ivanhoe firefighters were at the scene for several hours, Scholten said.

The fire did cause some damage to the surrounding area, including damage to a window at a neighboring building, and to electrical lines near the fire. Scholten said Otter Tail Power Company came in to repair a line downed after fire damaged part of a utility pole.

It’s not yet known what caused the fire. The incident is under investigation by the Minnesota State Fire Marshals, Scholten said.