A Bismarck couple was able to escape a Monday night fire with their two grandchildren, but they had to leave their pets behind.

A bird and a cat died in a 700 W. Ave. B house fire that started in a garage, Bismarck Fire Assistant Chief Kermit Schaefer said. Homeowners, Emma and Earl Holly, got out with their two grandsons.

Bismarck Police Lt. Dan Donlin said Earl Holly was in the garage when the fire began, and his shouts woke his sleeping wife. She led the grandchildren outside to safety.

Police found Earl Holly on the ground outside the garage. He was taken to St. Alexius for a head injury likely caused by bumping into something on his way out, Donlin said. Earl Holly has since been released from the hospital.

The fire started on a workbench in the garage, and quickly spread to the house through a walkway. The older, two-story house had space in the walls for the fire to travel fast, Schaefer said.

Firefighters arrived at about 11 p.m., minutes after the blaze was reported. Multiple fire crews worked simultaneously in the house and the garage to put out the fire in a few minutes.

Investigators stuck around until about 6 a.m. Tuesday. They closed the investigation after determining the fire was accidental. The cause of the fire wasn't determined.

The fire caused an estimated $80,000 to $90,000 in damage. There was extensive fire damage to the garage, walkway and wall spaces. The interior of the house suffered moderate to heavy heat and smoke damage. Schaefer said the house wasn't a complete loss.

"Our crews made a couple of crucial decisions when they arrived on scene," Schaefer said. "The crews were able to go in and extinguish the fire like clockwork."

A fire in Mandan also was reported about 11 p.m. Monday.

No one was hurt in the fire at Dakota Country Spa on the "Strip." Firefighters said it was a difficult fire to put out and at one point, part of the ceiling collapsed.

Mandan Fire Chief Steve Nardello said chlorine storage in the business presented a small problem. "We're cleaning that up, then we'll go in and do … (our) investigation" into the cause, he said.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story. Reach reporter Mike Albrecht at 250-8261 or cops@ndonline.com.)