The Halloween night fire that displaced 15 residents at HighGrove Apartments near South Everett has been classified as arson, according to Snohomish County Fire Marshal Seth Henderson.

Henderson told the Everett Post that suspicions emerged Saturday, Oct. 31, when South County Fire crews responded to the blaze at 12433 Admiralty Way.

No suspects have been identified or arrested, and the investigation is ongoing.

The fire is under criminal investigation by the Snohomish County Fire Marshal's Office, South County Fire confirmed in a Nov. 2 press release.

What happened

South County Fire crews responded to HighGrove Apartments on the night of Saturday, Oct. 31. The complex sits north of Lake Stickney in unincorporated Snohomish County.

Arriving firefighters found smoke filling a fourth-floor hallway, with flames mostly extinguished by fire sprinklers, according to South County Fire.

A woman and child were trapped on a fourth-floor balcony. Firefighters led them to safety.

No one was injured, South County Fire spokesperson Brian Clark said.

Fire teams contained the flames to an exterior hallway, preventing the fire from spreading into apartment units. Smoke and water damage displaced tenants from six units.

The American Red Cross Northwest Region and Support 7 are helping the 15 displaced residents with shelter, food and clothing.

Investigators canvassed for footage

KING 5 reported that on Nov. 1, members of the Snohomish County Fire Marshal's Office were canvassing the complex for security camera footage from residents. A member of the fire marshal's team told KING 5 the office is searching for a suspect.

Resident Chad Garland, who lives in the building, told KING 5 he did not realize there was a fire when alarms sounded. When he left his unit, he saw that a hallway in a common area had melted.

"I had no clue how bad it was until this morning," Garland said.

What's next

Henderson confirmed the criminal investigation is active and said no arrests have been made, the Everett Herald reported. The fire marshal's office is still searching for a suspect.