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The man was the only person at home at the time of the fire that began just before 4 a.m., Tuesday, and got out of the house after being woken up by his cats, said Assistant Fire Chief Jason Swart.
"There were no smoke alarms in the house," Swart said. "He woke up to find a large fire in the kitchen area and got out safely."
Swart added that the man's cats did not make it out of the home. The man, who was not identified, did not suffer any injuries in the ordeal.
"It's a very tight-knit neighborhood and some neighbors initially took him in before family came (Tuesday)," Swart said.
The home was considered to be a near total loss with heavy smoke damage, but Swart noted that the structure was salvageable. While the exact cause has not been determined, the department did rule the fire as accidental.
"Our preliminary investigation is leaning toward accidental with an electrical failure with one of the appliances in the kitchen," Swart said. "The insurance company will conduct its own investigation but we're confident they'll rule it accidental."
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