Fire broke out at T Jay’s Bar and Grill on Waterville Street in Waterbury early Monday morning and officials said the fire appears to be suspicious.

Someone who was passing by the building at 5:30 a.m. saw smoke and reported it.

Fire chief David Martin crews arrived to find a lot of smoke and determined the fire was heaviest near the bar, on the right of the building. It took around 45 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

No one in the building when the fire started and no firefighters were injured.

Martin said the bar was ordered to vacate around two weeks ago and the electricity to the building was on.

The Waterbury fire marshal’s office is investigating and state police arson dogs were brought in.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.