Paul Lingle hugged tight his 13-year-old daughter, Shyanne, as red lights flashed on a fire truck parked outside their Buchanan Township home.

Shyanne was wearing a short-sleeve shirt, so Paul took off his coat and placed it around her, and then hugged her again.

“It sucks,” he said while looking at what remained of his burnt garage and the group of firefighters huddled outside it. “I am just happy everyone is OK. All of this can be rebuilt.”

Around 3 p.m. Tuesday, just three days before Christmas, Shyanne went into the attached garage of the ranch-style home and noticed smoke and fire.

The only one home at the time, she ran outside and called 911.

Firefighters arrived at 937 E. Galien-Buchanan Road in Buchanan Township a short time later to find heavy smoke billowing from the home.

Chief Tim Jesswein, of Buchanan Township Fire Department, said the damage was mostly contained to the garage, although the fire breached the firewall and reached a portion of the attic.

“It was primarily smoke and heat — we didn’t have a lot of fire damage in the house,” he said, adding that there was smoke and water damage inside the home.

“They will have to have a company come in and do some work for them. If they need help we will help them find a place to stay.”

Paul was working at Walmart in Niles at the time of the blaze. He said his wife, Amy, and their three other children, ages 15, 7, and 4, were on the way to pick him up when it began.

Amy has lived in the home for approximately 30 years.

“I don’t know,” Paul said when asked where they would stay.

Jesswein had at least some good news for the family — the room that contained the Christmas gifts is intact.

“Merry Christmas. Everything looks good right now.”