[mappress mapid=”42″]

A fire that caused more than $30,000 damage at a condo north of Lynnwood this morning is being investigated as arson.

The fire was reported at 3:30 a.m. by residents of a ground-floor unit in a two-story building at the Brio Condominiums in the 15400 block of 35^th Ave. W. They both got out safely and called 9-1-1.

“They told dispatchers their front door was on fire and flames were spreading inside their condo unit,” said Leslie Hynes, spokesperson Fire District 1.

When firefighters arrived, they could see flames coming from a stairwell leading down to the front door. They had the fire under control within 10 minutes. No one was hurt.

Damage was contained to the stairwell and the entry area inside the condominium, but there was smoke damage throughout the unit. No other units were damaged.

The unit where the fire started is uninhabitable. The residents did not have renter’s insurance. They plan to stay with family members.

Fire Marshal’s Office Investigator Mike Makela and his K9 partner, Topper, a yellow Labrador retriever trained to sniff out accelerants, found signs the fire was intentionally set outside the front door.

Investigators don’t believe this fire was a random incident. They ask anyone with information that may help in the investigation to call 1-800-55-ARSON. There’s a $10,000 reward from the Arson Alarm Foundation for information leading to the arrest and criminal conviction of the persons responsible for the fire.