ARLINGTON — Marysville Fire District officials say some quick thinking moms helped contain flames that threatened Lakewood Elementary School on 16th Drive NE.

According to fire district public information officer Stephanie Price, the moms were walking the track at nearby Lakewood High School when they spotted flames and smoke coming from the elementary school.

Some of the moms also were watching a practice for a Lakewood football team. A local man came running to the scene with a fire extinguisher while the mothers broke glass door windows to access more extinguishers inside the school.

Not immediately available for comment, the moms told Price they wanted to stop the fire from reaching the school’s roof. Apparently, they succeeded.

“One of the captains on the scene reported that this fire could have been much worse and was minutes away from being a large scale fire with much more loss,” Price said.

Medics treated one mom at the scene for what Price described as minor smoke inhalation.

Fire crews initially responded to 911 calls concerning the fire about 6:50 p.m. July 23. The first crews on the scene reported flames and smoke on the outside of the school, with fire possibly having reached the interior of the building. Firefighters attacked the exterior flames and made a forced entry into the building to search for further blazes and provide ventilation.

Crews also pulled tiling from the ceiling and were able to extinguish fire that had traveled from the exterior into the attic space of the building.

Price said two classrooms suffered smoke and fire damage and reported further smoke damage throughout the building.

Besides the Marysville Fire District, the Arlington and North County Fire crews responded to the scene.

The fire is under investigation by the Snohomish County Fire Marshall’s Office, but Price quoted the marshal’s office as saying the flames were the result of arson.

“We have no further information at this point,” Price said late July 23.

School officials were unavailable for comment, but Price estimated damage to be at least $150,000.

According to the fire marshal’s office, the Arson Alarm Foundation is offering up to a $10,000 reward for any information on the fire. Anyone with information that may help lead to an arrest in the case can call 1-800-55arson (1-800-552-7766.)