Several people – including former “American Idol” contestant and drag performer Conor Leigh Tubbs – were left homeless after fire broke out Sunday morning in their home in South Portland’s Knightville neighborhood.

South Portland Fire Chief Kevin Guimond said the fire at 143 Ocean St. appears to have been caused by an electrical malfunction that started in a stove on the second floor. Guimond said the fire does not appear to be suspicious, but it did leave about six people without a home. The American Red Cross was working with the displaced residents to find them a place to live.

A second-floor apartment was destroyed and there was extensive water and smoke damage to the first floor apartment where Tubbs lived. No one was hurt, but some cats died.

Tubbs – who was a contestant in the current season of the “American Idol” TV program and whose stage name is Cherry Lemonade – was asleep in the downstairs apartment when the fire broke out. Tubbs announced early this month that he had been cut from the popular talent show early this month.

Tubbs, who lived in the apartment with his cousin, said the upstairs neighbor alerted them to get out.

Tubbs said his own cat made it out of the fire unscathed. He lost all of his costumes and most other personal items.

“My whole career was in the house,” Tubbs said.

A friend of Tubbs started a campaign on gofundme.com to raise funds on his behalf. Rachel Flehinger, who created the campaign, wrote that the smoke and water damage “ravaged what is years of a handcrafted drag collection.”

“It’s not really about the stuff. They don’t know where they’re going to live. They’re effectively homeless and furnitureless,” Flehinger wrote.

Three individuals had contributed $770 to the fundraising campaign as of Sunday night.

It took about 15 minutes for firefighters to bring the fire under control. The fire was reported at 10:06 a.m. but flared up again around 6 p.m. after attic insulation caught fire. Guimond said the flareup was quickly extinguished.

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