In the middle of the night, three capital area residents were awakened by their home security system, alerting them to a fire that was occurring somewhere on their property.
Quickly tracing the source of the alert to a small fire on a set of steps just outside of the back of the home, the residents contacted first responders for assistance.
First responders rushed to the Julia Street residence, arriving around 12:53 a.m., Tuesday.
According to a representative with the Baton Rouge Fire Department, the blaze was the work of an arsonist.
Officials say the arsonist set fire to a stuffed animal and a pile of clothes that had been placed on the steps.
No one was injured during the blaze, which remains under investigation.