Small Fire at Western State Hospital Deemed Arson

staff put out a small arson fire that's believed to have started when a patient lit a blanket on fire Tuesday.

Fire crews responded to the fire on the third floor of South Hall at about 4 p.m., said West Pierce Fire & Rescue spokeswoman Jenny Sharp.

Nurses saw a visible flame underneath a bedroom door and doused it with a wet blanket, said Todd Atkins, acting captain on the scene. Although investigators have not yet said who caused the fire, Sharp said it's likely to be the patient living there.

There were no injuries reported in the fire, Atkins said. Fire crews used a smoke ejector to remove smoke.