A suspected arsonist has been arrested after a fire was discovered at a Tacoma's Gray Middle School early Tuesday morning.
Police had been called to the nearby STAR Center just before 4:30 a.m. on an unrelated call for a stolen car in the parking lot. As officers were on scene, they spotted flames coming from the school.
The officers raced up the hill as they called for firefighters and found a 42-year-old man nearby and took him into custody.
Meanwhile, firefighters arrived to find a "small flammable liquid fire" that had been set next to a window that had been broken, Tacoma Fire officials said. The flames were doused by the first crews on the scene.
The suspect is now being held for investigation of second-degree arson, Tacoma Police said.
No one was injured in the blaze, though officials say there is some smoke damage to the building.