A fire that started in the garage caused $350,000 in damages to a two-story home in the neighborhood south of Sierra High.

The fire at 10:35 a.m. Friday brought four engine companies to 1758 Hidden Brook Court — two from the City of Manteca and one each from Lathrop Manteca and Ripon fire districts.

The residents were out of the home when firefighters arrived but noted they could not find their dogs and cats.

Firefighters tackled the blaze from inside the structure and through the exterior garage door while working to protect the adjacent home.

Manteca Battalion Chief Bill Canfield said firefighting efforts were hampered due to the significant amount of items stored in the garage that created access issues and difficulty locating the seat of the fire.  The fire had spread into the subfloor of the second story of the garage. The fire was contained to the garage with no extension into the living spaces due to extensive work by the fire crews. Salvage and overhaul operations continued over the next 2½ hours.

An investigation revealed the fire had started at the back of the garage and quickly spread to the items being stored there. Due to the significant amount of debris and fire damage the cause is undetermined.

A primary and secondary search of the residence was made locating 4 dogs, 2 adult cats and 5 kittens and removed them to safety.