CYNTHIANA, Ky. (WKYT) - A home in Cynthiana has burned down following an early morning fire on Thursday, leaving one man who says he's lucky to be alive.

Adam Carter tells WKYT's Melissa Etezadi that he was cooking around 7:00 AM on Thursday, when he heard popping noises and suddenly noticed smoke coming up from the floor.

He said he immediately tried to put the fire out but was unable to. "I tried to put water on the hot spot but it didn't work," explains Carter, "all of the sudden I saw flames and I started to panic."

Carter said he realized that he didn't have much time, and made a dash for the nearest exit as the smoke inside the house built up.

Carter had no working phone inside his home, and had to run to a neighbor's house to call 911 ... and watch as his home burned.

Carter, who calls himself a junk collector, says he's lucky to be alive.

"Yeah, I was a little nervous," he said. "I panicked a little bit, I panicked -- it was kind of hard actually to breath. Getting out the door, it was hard to breath."

Carter says he's going to stay with a friend as he tries to pick up the pieces. Officials believe the fire was electrical. Carter says he noticed the smoke after plugging in his space heater.