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Seattle fire investigators determined that a Tuesday afternoon house fire in South Seattle was arson. (Mark Harrison/The Seattle Times)

Seattle police say a man assaulted his girlfriend in a South Seattle home then set the house on fire Tuesday afternoon before fleeing.

Firefighters and police responded to a fire in a house in the 2900 block of South Austin Street at 2:19 p.m. Eight people were in the house at the time, but everyone got out safely, according to the Seattle Police.

While interviewing people at the scene, detectives were told a man at the house had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend and then assaulted her. He then went into a back room, where he may have set the house on fire. Police are still looking for the man.

Seattle Fire Department arson and bomb squad investigators determined the fire was deliberately set and that it caused about $200,000 damage to the home and $50,000 damage to its contents. The Red Cross is assisting 10 people displaced by the fire.