A fire at Suffolk Auto Body Saturday morning claimed the life of a dog and destroyed a business just before its busiest time of year.

A passerby called 911 at 6:18 a.m. to report flames coming from the building, located in the 900 block of Portsmouth Boulevard. Firefighters from five Suffolk fire stations responded and brought the blaze under control within an hour and a half. A dog belonging to the business owner perished in the fire. No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported.

The business employs 10 people, said city spokeswoman Debbie George. Several customers’ vehicles inside the building and around the perimeter were damaged or destroyed. A city tourism vehicle behind the building suffered front end damage, including melted headlight covers and grill.

Members of the Suffolk Fire Marshal’s office still were investigating the cause Saturday afternoon.