No injuries were reported following a residential fire in Atlantic, early Saturday morning. The Atlantic Fire Department responded to the blaze at 405 West 5th Street, at around 4:30-a.m. Dense smoke was emitting from the home when the first crews arrived on the scene, but the home’s owner, Trevor Cavin, and his cat, was able to escape prior to firefighters’ arrival.

According to Fire Chief Mark Mcnees, Cavin was asleep and woke up when he had trouble breathing. There was no smoke detector in the home, which was being remodeled. McNees told KJAN News the fire apparently started when an electrical extension cord became pinched beneath a refrigerator and eventually became hot and may have started a nearby towel on fire.

Cavin tried to put out the flames, but the smoke and flames were too much for him to handle. Shortly after fire fighters arrived, the flames erupted into a “Flash fire” and quickly spread into the attic area. Crews were on the scene for about 2-to 2/12 hours. The cause of the blaze was listed as “electrical.”