Police say a fire Tuesday evening at a Fred Meyer in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood was intentionally set.
Fire officials responded after 7 p.m. to a report of a fire in a commercial building in the 13000 block of Lake City Way Northeast.
When crews arrived, there was a fire on the second floor of a store.
Before 8 p.m., crews extinguished the fire and no injuries were reported.
Wednesday, the upstairs section of the store was still closed. Employees worked to salvage clothing and other inventory.
Photos from inside the store show the burn damage, most of it in the toy section of the store.
Several employees said someone set one or several stuffed animals on fire and it spread from there. The Seattle Fire Department estimates damage costs of about $25,000.
Fire crews back in Lake City today after an arson inside Fred Meyer last night.
— Deedee Sun (@DeedeeKIRO7) October 23, 2019
Someone started a fire in the toy section & store had to be evacuated. Upstairs / garden center closed.
Investigators still looking for a suspect. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/X5AzKAAnHH
“It scares me because there’s a lot of things happening in Lake City, that’s troubling,” said Barbara Allen, who was shopping there Wednesday. “And it’s kind of sad we have to be scared to go to the store,” she said.
“I have two kids myself, so it’s really hard for me to think if it’s safe to go,” said Aissa Holgate, who works across the street.
Police said detectives believe the fire was intentionally set and are looking at the store's surveillance video to determine a suspect description.
The fire is still under investigation.
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