Investigators Rule Apartment Fire Arson

A three-alarm apartment fire that forced 80 people out of their homes Wednesday morning was arson, fire investigators said.

The fire department said the blaze was set in a garbage can in the lobby of the 61-unit Pineridge Apartments.

Firefighters had to rescue some residents trapped on balconies, but none were injured. One firefighter suffered minor burns.

The fire at 1:30 a.m. burned three floors of the stairwell. Apartments had smoke damage and residents were not allowed to return until high levels of carbon monoxide were cleared. The Valley Ridge Community Center was opened as a shelter.