One man suffered smoke inhalation when his home in Southwest Decatur caught fire shortly before 2 p.m. today, firefighters said.

Larry Wesley Jr. said the fire in his garage at 602 Ashley Drive S.W. began while he and his family were watching TV.

Everyone escaped, but Wesley went back inside to get the keys to his car, which was parked next to the burning garage. He encountered heavy smoke within.

"When I made it halfway to the door to the bedroom, I couldn't see anything," Wesley said. "I followed the walls trying to get out."

After escaping to the patio, Wesley got blasted by heavy smoke again while opening doors to vent the house.

Acting fire Lt. Roger Richardson said firefighters arrived to find heavy flames in the east side of the one-story brick house and Wesley leaping the backyard fence.

"We thought he was on fire, but it was just his clothes smoking," Richardson said.

Wesley was treated with oxygen for about 15 minutes at the scene and appeared to be OK, Richardson said.

"I couldn't be at a hospital right now and be thinking about what's going on here," Wesley said.