A man is due to face court accused of igniting a fire at an inner west Sydney hotel that killed the pub's cat earlier this week.
About 20 people including staff, patrons and residents were rescued from the second-floor awning of Marrickville's Royal Exchange Hotel, with several treated for smoke inhalation following a fire just before midnight on Monday.
The recently renovated hotel was extensively damaged in the fire, and its resident cat was later found dead under a bed.
Police were seeking a man they say was seen running from the scene shortly after the fire broke out.
A 54-year-old man was arrested at a Newtown unit on Thursday morning and has been charged with destroy/damage property with intent to endanger life and dishonestly obtain property by deception.
He is due to face Newtown Local Court on Friday.
