CLEVELAND -- A fire broke out in the home of a Cleveland city councilman early Monday morning and investigators are trying to determine if it was arson.

The flames started around 2:30 a.m. on West 12th Street at the home of Joe Cimperman.

NewsChannel5's Dan Haggerty reported that neighbors smelled smoke and called 911.

Images: Councilman's House Burns

Some teenagers in the area alerted the Ward 13 councilman, who lives on the second floor, and another family on the first floor, by throwing rocks and the windows and yelling, and got them out of the house safely.

Cimperman said he heard the smoke alarm go off and the banging on his door. His 1-week-old baby was in the home and also is OK.

Firefighters said the blaze appears suspicious. They found signs of an accelerant near the home. That could mean the fire was intentionally set, Haggerty said.

The fire spread quickly, igniting a propane tank on the second-floor balcony and damaging a neighboring home.

The flames did about $30,000 in damage to Cimperman's home.

Firefighters are investigating.