A Selma firefighter was injured slightly when he fell into an elevator shaft while battling a fire at a residence at 402 West Dallas Ave. Thursday.

The fire destroyed the garage, but firefighters were able to contain the blaze before it damaged the adjoining house.

The fire is believed to have started either in the garage or the laundry room above, according to Battalion Chief Mike Stokes. He added that the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The injured firefighter was transported to Vaughan Regional Medical Center for X-rays and observation.

The call was received at 4:03 p.m. The call was made by off-duty fire Capt. Robby Persinger. Persinger cut his elbow slightly when he broke out a window in an attempt to rescue a dog that was inside the house at the time the fire started.

Persinger’s efforts to rescue the dog went for naught, however.

The dog was later found unharmed.

Stokes said that while the garage was a total loss, the house itself was not damaged.