Overheated wiring caused a small fire inside the garage of an Admiral’s Cove home early Monday.

The damage was limited to about 10 percent of the garage but the result could have been much worse had residents not been awake and smelled smoke at the time of the fire, which happened around 3 a.m., said Charlie Smith, deputy chief of Central Whidbey Fire & Rescue.

There were no working smoke detectors in the Smart Court home to alert residents, Smith said.

“Fortunately, they were awake,” Smith said. “It could have had a real bad ending.”

Residents used a garden hose to put water on the fire and contain it by the time emergency units arrived. Firefighters then went in with fire hoses to knock out remaining flames, cool down any additional hot spots and mop up. Electricity to the home also was shut down.

There also was fire damage to contents inside the garage, Smith said.