The burned remains of the Unity Flower Shop on Sunday, after a fire destroyed the flower business and the owners’ home in Unity on Saturday. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

UNITY — A fire Saturday that destroyed the Unity Flower Shop and family home at 257 Depot St. was apparently caused by a cat playing with cardboard atop a gas stove, a fire official said.

Unity firefighter John Levers said he saw the cat running away when he arrived at the scene early Saturday.

The home, business and greenhouse in back of the building are owned by Chris and Najean Shedyak, who were home when the fire was reported at 6:51 a.m. Their teenage son was not, according to Levers, who served as fire commander at the scene.

“From talking to the owners — I was first on scene — it was a cat playing with cardboard on the stove,” he said of the fire cause. “It’s a gas stove and when the cat jumped off the stove, it looked like it accidentally hit the burner on.”

Both the home and business were in the wood-frame building, Levers said.

“It was an older home,” he said. “It’s actually been in their family for several generations and they’ve run the flower shop for multi generations. Being an older structure, balloon-framed, there are no breaks in between the levels. As soon as the fire got a little air and went up, it spread across the attic. Just a complete loss.”

The state Fire Marshal’s Office and Maine State Police responded to the scene, as did approximately 40 to 55 firefighters from 12 towns, according to Levers, who said the Shedyaks and a firefighter were treated for smoke inhalation.

Levers said he doesn’t know if the cat was found and is OK.

“Cats are known for hiding,” he said.

Icicles and a heart are shown amid the charred remains of the Unity Flower Shop on Sunday after a fire destroyed the flower business and the owners’ home in Unity Saturday. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

The Red Cross responded to help, Levers said, adding that the family is staying at a son’s house, located right around the corner from the fire scene. He said he thinks the home and business are insured.

Firefighters responded from Unity, Albion, Fairfield, Clinton, Troy, Freedom, Thorndike, Montville, Liberty, Dixmont, Detroit and Plymouth, Levers said.

The Unity Fire Department posted on its social media page that it was a “very stubborn fire and huge loss of a longtime business and family home.”

“Please keep the Shedyak family in your thoughts as they navigate thru this bad storm,” the post says. “Huge thank you to all our mutual aid help. We would also like to thank all the local businesses, citizens, and UFD fire Auxiliary who provided rehab refreshments for all our responders.”