Homer Volunteer Fire Department firefighters put out a fire in the historic Carl Nielsen automotive shop on Lake Street across from Ulmer’s. Firefighters responded to a report of smoke about 9:15 a.m. Tuesday. No one was in the building, said Fire Chief Bob Painter. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire response briefly closed Lake Street, with traffic rerouted through the Ulmer’s parking lot. According to Janet Klein’s “Celebrating Homer’s Historic Buildings,” the frame structure was built in the 1940s by Carl Nielsen and was Homer’s first automotive shop. It also had been a wood working shop and a feed store.