South Como neighborhood fire believed to have been intentionally set

A fire that started in the basement of a house Wednesday morning is suspected of being intentionally set.

The St. Paul Fire Department said they learned of the fire just after 8:30 a.m. on the 800 block of Front Avenue when a passerby reported seeing flames coming below an air conditioner.

Crews found a fire in the basement and were able to quickly extinguish the flames. No one is believed to have been inside at the time of the fire.

The fire department said the fire appears to have been intentionally set. They found the fire had traveled from the exterior to the basement floor joists and found a second area of fire damage on the front of the building’s porch steps.

There were no signs of forced entry into the building.

Fire officials say their investigation has been forwarded to police to be reviewed.

The fire department praised the swift action of the passerby, saying their actions prevented the fire from growing larger than it had.