LEWISTON – An unattended candle left burning in a bedroom caused a fire that destroyed a Bailey Avenue home Thursday afternoon, fire officials said.

No one was hurt in the 2 p.m. blaze and two cats were later found unharmed.

However, fire officials said the house at 15 Bailey Ave. sustained an estimated $45,000 damage from flames, heat and smoke.

Stacey Gravel, who owns and lives in the one-story home, was down the road visiting a relative when she heard sirens.

When she arrived at the scene, a crowd of people was watching firefighters cut holes in the roof of her home as they battled the blaze.

Crews had the fire under control within minutes. However, the home was gutted and most of the property inside was damaged.

“The bedroom is completely gone,” said Lewiston fire inspector Paul Ouellette. “The rest of the house sustained heat and smoke damage.”

Gravel, a registered nurse who works in the area, was staying with a relative Thursday night. It was not known if she planned to have the house repaired. The home is located off Sabattus Street, a short distance from Grove Street.

Ouellette, who entered the burned out house after the flames were subdued, said the cause of the fire was easy to identify: a candle left burning for hours while Gravel was away.

The candle was inside a jar and once the wax had burned down, the glass heated up. Nearby combustibles caught fire.

“She had lit it and it remained on top of a bureau,” Ouellette said. “That gets pretty hot after a while.”

The inspector said two of Gravel’s pets survived the afternoon blaze. They were discovered later, unhurt.

“The cats were not inside the home at the time of the fire,” Ouellette said.

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