A deck caught fire in the 600 block of East Competine in Knoxville on Thursday.

Just after 11 a.m. Knoxville Fire and Rescue and the Knoxville Police Department were called to a report of a fire and found a deck on the backside of a home fully engulfed in flames. Knoxville Fire Chief Jim Mitchell says responders worked quickly to knock down the blaze, which had been spurred on by a small explosion preliminarily believed to be from a can of lighter fluid. Firefighters entered the home and found a cat which had been badly hurt by smoke inhalation as the fire spread to the back of the home. The cat was treated using an oxygen mask specifically designed for pets. No one was harmed in the fire, but much of the home was destroyed. Knoxville Rural Fire and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the operation. Mitchell says the fire is believed to have started with an ashtray, but an investigation will take place.