Butler police believe that whoever broke into a house in the city’s Institute Hill neighborhood last week set a fire in the living room before making a getaway.

But in a bit of good fortune, police said, the man who lives there happened to return home from work Thursday afternoon only moments after the fire was set.

“He stomped the fire out himself,” said police Lt. James Hollobaugh of Matthew Buffington, who resides with his mother at the two-story house in the 300 block of Oak Street.

Fire and smoke damage was minimal and no one was injured.

Hollobaugh said police are investigating the incident as a burglary and arson. He declined to say if police have any suspects.

Buffington told investigators that when he got home about 4:40 p.m. he discovered the break-in and noticed a small fire in the living room on the carpet.

His mother, Debra Buffington, also was away at work.

Hollobaugh said the burglar got into the home by forcing in a rear basement door. The suspect apparently did not take any property but ransacked a bedroom.

“A lamp was smashed and a (dresser) was turned over,” Hollobaugh said.

Police do not know if the suspect used any accelerant to start the fire on the living room carpet, before leaving through the back door.

“The fire was just probably set within a minute of (Buffington) getting home,” Hollobaugh said.

The first officers there conducted a room-to-room search of the house but did not find any sign of the suspect. A K-9 officer also was used in the initial search.

Butler firefighters were also called and made certain the fire was out. Damage was confined to a small portion of the carpet, said Butler Fire Chief Nick Ban.

Officers later canvassed the neighborhood but found no one who noticed anything suspicious before the burglary and arson.

Investigators said they want to speak to anyone with any information about the incident. Police can be reached at 724-287-7743.