(AP) Four people are displaced after a fire Wednesday at 113 S. Jackson St., Pottsville. A man who lives there credited his cat with alerting him to the fire. "The cat woke me up," Jo Bottor, 57, said.

He was sleeping on a couch in the first-floor living room and woke up to the cat pawing him. He noticed a dog bed was on fire near a propane fireplace. He carried the cat to safety.The three dogs also made it out safely. A tarantula, lizard and fish died. Bottor said he didn't hear the smoke alarms go off until later. He called 911. He tried unsuccessfully to go back in the house and extinguish the fire because all he could see was black smoke."I thought I could put it out. It was small," he said.Bottor, who was the only one home at the time of the fire, lives there with his wife, Sherry, 54, son, Joseph, 38, and Joseph's fiancee, Della Bozeman, 24.Pottsville Fire Chief Todd March said there is "heavy heat and smoke damage throughout the whole house."He estimated the damage is at least $100,000. "The whole first floor is gutted," he said.Bottor has insurance.Firefighters were called to the 2:15 p.m. structure fire and upon arrival noticed "the whole first floor was in flames," March said, adding the fire was contained in about 20 minutes and appears accidental.March didn't see any working smoke detectors. Firefighters remained on scene until about 4 p.m."I think the dog bed was too close to the fireplace. The radiant heat set the dog bed on fire. That's what it looks like," March said.He advised residents to keep at least a 3-foot distance between heat sources and objects.Bottor was surprised to learn that is the likely cause of the fire. He said the dogs like to keep warm and he's never had a problem before with the dog bed there. He was happy that he is alive and most of the pets are safe.