Two people were injured when fire broke out in a duplex in the Highland Park community on Wednesday night.

Charles Ellis initially told firefighters that he was cooking some food in the kitchen and went out the back door to feed his dog. When he returned, he said the kitchen was on fire.

Mr. Ellis said he tried to put the fire out with a blanket, but the flames were too intense and he had to leave. He suffered some smoke inhalation and a second-degree burn to his face, but he refused to be transported to a hospital by Hamilton County EMS.

On Thursday, officials said the cause of the duplex fire is being ruled accidental, though not the way the fire victim initially said it happened. They said a subsequent investigation by fire investigators revealed that something else started the fire.

Lt. Henry McElvain with the Fire Investigation Division said the burn patterns just did not match up for a kitchen fire. In fact, the fire appears to have started between a living room and a bedroom.

Upon further questioning, Mr. Ellis confessed that he was trying to refill his kerosene heater - while it was on - and the appliance burst into flames. Mr. Ellis said he grabbed a blanket from the bedroom and tried to beat the fire out, but the flames only got more intense. Mr. Ellis suffered from smoke inhalation and a second degree burn to his face, but he refused to be transported to a local hospital. The fire caused considerable damage to the duplex, though an estimate on the dollar loss was not available. Fire Investigator Captain Lesley Morgan assisted with the investigation.

When Mr. Ellis left his apartment, he went next door to alert his neighbor, Santos Eulojio. As the flames increased in intensity, Mr. Eulojio became concerned about his car, which was parked on the curb in front of the duplex.

Mr. Eulojio said he busted out a window in the car in order to move it, and in the process, cut his hand. He also refused to be transported by EMS.

The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 7:10 p.m. and responded to the fire at 2006 E. 14th St. with several fire companies. The firefighters eventually got the blaze under control, but the damage was extensive.

Volunteers with the Red Cross were called to the scene and they provided recovery assistance to Mr. Ellis and to Mr. Eulojio, his sister and her baby. Chattanooga police also provided assistance on the scene.

Earlier Wednesday, no injuries were reported in connection with a house fire just off Main Street.

Kevin Brown, 18, told firefighters that he was home at the time and started smelling smoke. When he walked around the house to investigate, he saw smoke and flames in one of the rooms. Mr. Brown left the house and ran about two blocks to Fire Station 1 on E. Main Street to get help. The firefighters notified 911 communications and responded to 1713 Mitchell Ave. at 4:43 p.m.

When the firefighters arrived on the scene, smoke and flames were pouring out most of the windows in the two-story house. The firefighters attacked the fire from the inside and out with hand-held hose lines. Their efforts were complicated by the construction of the house. Several rooms had been added over the years and the flames had spread in between the walls and were hard to get to. The firefighters had to tear open the walls to get most of the fire out, which took roughly an hour.

Two adults also lived in the house, but they were gone at the time of the fire. The house is considered a total loss. Volunteers with the Chattanooga chapter of the American Red Cross were contacted to provide assistance to the fire victims. The cause of the fire is currently undetermined and under investigation. Chattanooga police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.