ARLINGTON – A domestic violence dispute allegedly was behind the fire that destroyed a historic building in downtown Arlington Monday.

Police arrested a 53-year-old Arlington woman for arson in the blaze that caused $465,000 in damage.

A resident of the building said he had an argument with his estranged wife earlier that evening. She called him about 15 minutes later and threatened to burn down his residence.

Arlington detectives obtained evidence that confirmed the woman returned to the residence in a distinct vehicle just after 7 p.m. and left about five minutes later. The fire was discovered moments later.

The woman was being booked into the Snohomish County Jail on one count of arson in the first degree, domestic violence.

On the night of the fire, Arlington police and fire discovered that a small space at the rear of the building was being used as a residence, even though the location is not permitted with the city. That’s where the man lived.

The blaze destroyed the commercial building at 229 N. Olympic Ave. No one was injured in the fire or the efforts to extinguish it.

The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office ruled the cause of the fire to be “intentional.”