Arson suspected in Delridge fire that sent 1 to hospital

Seattle police suspect arson might have been a factor in an apartment building fire Sunday morning in the South Delridge neighborhood that sent a man to the hospital and killed two animals.

Fire crews were called to the 1700 block of Southwest Barton Street just after 7:30 a.m., according to a blog post from the Seattle Fire Department. When firefighters arrived, they saw flames coming from the three-story building and found someone standing outside, apparently injured, the post said.

Paramedics treated the patient, a 35-year-old man, and transported him to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.

About eight residents were displaced from their homes, as the blaze spread to all three floors. Crews had the fire under control within 10 minutes of arriving and had fully extinguished it within the hour, the post said.

Firefighters found a cat and parakeet that died in the fire, according to the fire department. No other injuries were reported.

Seattle police were investigating the fire. Early damage estimates totaled more than $1 million.