Police are investigating a suspicious fire in Fairview that sent a police officer to hospital with smoke inhalation Tuesday morning.

Emergency crews were called to the 34-unit building at 27 Evans Ave. around 4 a.m.

Sgt. Nancy Rudback said the first officer on scene ran into the building as it was being evacuated after residents already gathered outside alerted him to a deaf tenant on the second floor.

“So at that time, he entered the residence, went directly to the apartment that the deaf resident lived in, was able to rouse them and get them out of the apartment building as well,” said Rudback.

Police later revealed that the tenant was not in the building and the officer did not bring anyone out.

When fire crews arrived they found kitchen cabinets in a vacant unit fully involved. It took firefighters less than a half hour to knock the blaze down. Damage was contained to the one apartment.

The building’s 50 tenants were allowed back into the building by 6 a.m.

Afterward, the fire department declared the fire suspicious.

:Fire investigators have determined that the origin of a blaze at a Halifax apartment building earlier this morning was suspicious and the investigation has been turned over to police,” said a release from Halifax Regional Police.

Fire investigators have determined that the origin of a blaze at a Halifax apartment building earlier this morning was suspicious and the investigation has been turned over to police.