A fire at an automotive garage in Camden County Monday produced a lot of thick, black smoke but no damage or injuries, officials said.

The fire occurred at about 1 p.m. at Robert's Garage, at 293 E. U.S. Highway 158 in Belcross, according to Danny Ellinwood, a fire investigator with the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank-Camden Fire Marshal's Office.

The owner of the garage, Robert Wilson, was drilling holes in sheet metal when the fire began. Ellinwood said that hot shavings falling away from the bit of Wilson's portable drill landed in some trash. Because the ground was saturated with gas and oil, the fire spread to a group of five tires. The smoke from the burning tires created an alarming picture, Ellinwood said.

"Tires produce a lot of smoke," Ellinwood said," which gave the appearance of a large fire in the front entrance to the shop. But there were no injuries and there was no damage."

Ellinwood said Wilson grabbed a fire extinguisher, but discovered it was empty. Then he turned a hose on the fire, but that was ineffective.

"I almost had it out with the doggone hose," Wilson said after his fire extinguisher did not work.

A passing motorist called 9-1-1 while Wilson was attempting to extinguish the fire. When firefighters arrived they used water to put it out within a few minutes, Ellinwood said.