An afternoon of tinkering turned into a nightmare for one Slidell man Saturday when a fire under the hood of his 1975 Camaro spread to the rest of his home.

It happened at 204 Brookter St. at about 5:30 p.m. Resident Ogden Carter told investigators he had been working on the car for several months, and was excited about cranking it for the first time.

Something went wrong, however. Instead of the engine cranking, there was a “whooshing” noise, and Carter noticed flames under hood. “He ran to get a fire extinguisher, and when he came back, there was an explosion,” said St. Tammany Fire District 1 Chief of Fire Prevention Neil Ricca.

Firefighters responded in just six minutes, and Ricca said the blaze had consumed almost one-third of the residence by the time they arrived. The fire was contained by 6 p.m., even though it had already spread to the attic of the home, something that makes containment that much more difficult.

“They probably saved another third of the house and its contents,” said Ricca. “They also kept it from spreading to the house next door.”

Tuesday Ricca received an e-mail from a neighbor of Carter’s, praising the actions of FD1 personnel.

The woman, whose husband was a firefighter in Jefferson Parish, said the department’s response time seemed quicker than the six minutes that had been reported.

“I feel you guys need to be recognized for the great work you do, and taking your life on the line every time you’re called to duty,” the message read. “It’s nice to know as citizens in St. Tammany Parish that if we need your service, you will be here for us.”

There were no injuries in the blaze, and damages are estimated at $50,000.