The Seattle Fire Marshal was investigating Monday night after firefighters quickly extinguished a blaze inside a 1925-built E Howell apartment building home to 40 apartment units and the Kedai Makan restaurant.

Smoke and fire were first reported in the 400-block E Howell Burlingame Apartments building off E Olive Way around 7:35 PM. Seattle Fire units quickly brought the blaze on the mezzanine level in the building’s residential entrance under control. One early report indicated the fire may have involved a couch.

The building was evacuated during the response and SFD was checking smoke levels inside to make sure it was safe for residents and customers. Kedai Makan is not open for business on Monday nights.

The Fire Marshal was called to the scene to determine what caused the blaze.

Seattle Fire reports there were no injuries.

A person familiar with the situation, tells CHS that a bartender at Montana, on the other side of the block from the blaze, may have helped save the building when he noticed smoke coming through an emergency exit door, grabbed an extinguisher, and jumped into action.

UPDATE 9:27 PM: SFD reports that the investigation has found that the fire was intentionally set. The arson is now being investigated by Seattle Police. The fire did an estimated $10,000 in damage according to investigators.

UPDATE 3/27/18 10:55 AM: SPD has provided some additional details on their investigation:

Seattle Fire Department firefighters were dispatched to a fire inside of an apartment building in the 400 block of East Howell Street at 7:50 p.m. Monday. When they arrived a resident had already used a fire extinguisher to contain the flames to a couch in the lobby of the building. The 31-year-old man who put out the fire spoke with officers and said that he heard a crash in the lobby and went to investigate the noise and found the couch already on fire.

Detectives ask anyone with information to call 206-684-8980.

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