By Jennifer Glickel and Michael Ventura
DNAinfo Staff
MANHATTAN — Firefighters battled a suspicious blaze Tuesday afternoon in the top floor apartment of a 25-story building in Chelsea's Fulton Houses.
The fire in the two bedroom apartment 419 West 17th Street, between Ninth and Tenth avenues, was "definitely suspicious," fire officials said.
"Seems as though it may have been intentionally started," said FDNY Chief Stephen Redican. "But we don't know if it was or if so, how."
The fire remained under investigation, fire officials said.
Fire officials at the scene said there was an initial report of an emotionally disturbed person who had barricaded themselves into the burning apartment with a knife. But when the fire was put out, there was no one there.
The call came in for the fire at 12:46 p.m., fire officials said.
The fire was brought under control at 1:26 p.m., fire officials said.
Twenty units, with 78 firefighters, responded to the incident, FDNY officials said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
