Firefighters are on the scene at a five-story apartment building on Capitol Hill on Bellevue Ave. and East Thomas Street which caught on fire today, sending a plume of black smoke into the sky. The Stranger's Brendan Kiley, who is on the scene, says everyone appears to have been evacuated. People are carrying out small animal cages. Brendan says the Seattle Fire Department is putting it out the fire now.

When the alarm went off, Thomas Jacobson, who lives on the fourth floor, walked out of his apartment and saw flames down the hallway. "The carpet was on fire," he told Brendan. "Up to here," he said, gesturing to waist height.

"Some people think the source is the roof and that the flames came down from above. Others," he said, "think it started in one of the apartments and spread to the roof."

We'll post updates here as necessary. You can also follow the Seattle Fire Department's Twitter feed for the latest.

Update:

Cause of Capitol Hill apt fire is improperly discarded smoking materials on the desk. Damage estimate is $25k to roof. No injuries.

— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) September 11, 2014