POCATELLO — Local firefighters were quick to extinguish a blaze that ignited in a duplex on the 1300 block of West Eldredge Road around 7 p.m. Thursday.

The fire caused extensive damage to half of the duplex, but nobody was injured in the blaze, according to the Pocatello Fire Department.

The Pocatello Fire Department declared the blaze human caused and accidental following its investigation that lasted several hours on Thursday evening.

Ryan O’Hearn, the assistant chief of operations for the Pocatello Fire Department, said the fire is presumed to have started near the rear of the home on a back deck via discarded cigarette butts that set a couch located on the back deck ablaze. From there, the fire burned through a rear entrance of the home and into the duplex, O’Hearn said.

The portion of the duplex that caught fire is likely a total loss, or will at least require significant renovations to be habitable again, O’Hearn said.

Firefighters extinguished the house fire around 7:25 p.m. Thursday, but fire and police department officials remained on scene for several hours as they completed their investigation into the blaze, according to the Pocatello Fire Department.

All of the occupants of the portion of the duplex that caught fire and their pets were safely evacuated, authorities said. The occupants of the other portion of the duplex were not home so firefighters breached the front door to safely rescue a dog from that residence, according to the fire department.

Reports indicate that witnesses heard explosions going on inside the house soon after the blaze ignited. O’Hearn said several small Coleman propane tanks were consumed during the fire, which would explain the explosions witnesses had reported hearing from several miles away.

Residents living in homes adjacent to the blaze were temporarily evacuated, authorities said.

Firefighters temporarily shut down West Eldredge in the area near the fire while they battled the blaze.

Smoke from the fire could be seen from several miles away.

The occupants of the duplex are expected to stay with family until permanent arrangements can be made, authorities said.