A Florida house fire early Monday was caused by a pet rat that had inadvertently been set aflame by residents, authorities said.

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Lt. Teresa Uzel of the Brevard County Fire Rescue said three residents of the house had been attempting to use a lighter to cut through a ribbon tied around the rodent but it escaped their grasp after the ribbon caught fire and ran about the garage leaving small fires in its wake, WFTV in Orlando reported.

"This is a first time. It's a believable story because things happen, but this is a first with a rat," Uzel said.

One of the residents, David Stanifer, said the house belongs to his parents but he has been unable to reach them, as his father is on a trip to Africa and his mother "works most of the time."

Firefighters estimated the damage to the home at about $30,000.

There was no word on the fate of the rat.