Saturday’s early morning fire that scorched a Central District barber shop was intentionally set and Seattle Police are searching for the arson suspect.

Seattle Fire said its investigators determined the fire that damaged the Update Barber Shop in the 700 block of 23rd Ave E was set on the outside of the commercial building with flames spreading and doing some $200,000 in damage.

(Image courtesy a CHS reader)

(Image: SFD)

Neighboring Flowers Just 4 U which moved to the building last year after nearly 40 years of business at 23rd and Jackson came out of the fire mostly unscathed.

Seattle Fire crews were called to the intersection’s northwest corner just before 4 AM and arrived to find the building in flames. Crews battled the blaze and were able to knock it down before the fire spread through the building and damaged the florist shop. You can see the heavy damage to the barber shop’s exterior in CHS’s Saturday coverage of the fire.

There were no reported injuries.

Seattle Fire says SPD is looking for information that could help in the investigation:

The Seattle Police Department is conducting the follow-up investigation. Anyone with information about these fires should contact SPD’s Arson and Bomb Squad at (206) 684-8980. Callers can choose to remain anonymous.

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