Police are investigating after a man woke up to find a bedroom in his Masterton home ablaze yesterday.
The man escaped unharmed from the fire in the Cole St house about 2.30pm.
Fire services including three fire trucks and a water tanker as well as police went to the house.
A cat was found in one of the smoke-logged rooms and given oxygen at the scene by firefighters.
Boarder Robin Taylor was asleep in a bedroom when the fire broke out but was woken by the flames.
"I heard the crackling, like something burning," he said. He discovered curtains, a couch and a box on fire in a bedroom.
He had grabbed pots of water to try to put out the flames after he realised the garden hose would not help, but then decided the fire was "too far gone" and escaped. He was "shook up" and the house was gutted. "It went pretty fast," he said.
Fire officer in charge Garry Nielsen said Mr Taylor was the only person in the house at the time. The fire had started in a bedroom and spread through open doors. It had taken about 20 minutes to get the blaze under control, although firefighters expected to stay at the site for about two hours.
Mr Nielsen said a crew from Carterton also assisted and the water tanker did not need to be used. He added there didn't appear to be working smoke alarms in the house.
Firefighter Ross Hoare rescued the black cat - which belongs to Mr Taylor - from the fire. It was suffering from smoke inhalation and was given oxygen.
Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Miller confirmed police were treating the fire as suspicious. They were looking to speak to a person associated with the house in relation to the fire.
"At this time we haven't got a cause of the fire," he said.
The Human Rights Commission says it has received complaints about the event.