It was not the best way for one Catoosa man to return home from work early Sunday morning.
Fire crews say the unidentified homeowner could see smoke coming from his house located near East 145th and East Pine. Once he opened his door around 2:45 a.m., the man could see flames.
Multiple crews were called out to the scene to extinguish the flames. It took multiple hours to put the fire completely out.
Nobody was inside the home during the time of the fire.
Crews say the house was heavily damaged, but not a total loss.
An investigator will decide a cause for the fire.