Fire investigators now say a house fire that injured several people, including responders, was set on purpose.

Chief Fire Inspector Guy Santone has ruled the fire at a 3-story apartment house on West 6th street, intentional.

He says now authorities are looking for a female suspect who they believe is responsible for the blaze. No word on what charges that person may face.

When fire crews arrived at 453 W. 6th St. shortly before 4 o'clock Friday morning, they found smoke and fire pouring from an apartment building as Erie police and firefighters rescued nine people inside.

"We made access through a rear stairwell to a third floor apartment. We got two people out of the third floor, and two more people down the front stairs,” said Deputy Fire Chief Mike Balliett.

Six people were transported to UPMC Hamot for treatment, most with smoke inhalation. One victim was flown to Pittsburgh with what are being called serious burns. Two Erie firefighters and an Erie police officer were also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

But, the fire wasn't the initial reason police were called to the scene.  Around 3:45a.m., they received reports of a domestic dispute. It was when police responded that they discovered a fire inside the building.

"Well, our unit requested fire right away,” said Randy Bowers, Erie police chief. “They began to make entry and tried to determine who was in the building and how many people."

Thanks to quick work between all parties, everyone escaped the building

"It was good team work, I mean you had Erie Fire, Gannon Police, Emergycare, and Erie Police all working together,” said Guy Santone, Erie chief fire inspector. “And that's what got all these people out safely."

Bowers said police are not ruling out a connection between the domestic dispute and the fire, as they continue their investigation.