Investigators believe Sunday fire outside vacant Bel Air pool house was intentional, Maryland fire marshal’s office says

Investigators believe a brush fire was intentionally set outside a Bel Air apartment complex’s vacant pool house Sunday afternoon, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company responded shortly before 2 p.m. to the fire outside a former pool house belonging to the Seasons of Bel Air apartments, the fire marshal’s office said in a news release. About 20 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was on the exterior of the pool house and took about 10 minutes to control.

Preliminarily, investigators believe the fire was set intentionally.

The fire company reported that two brush fires had been previously set at the vacant pool house, which is located near Bynum Run Park and has been “subjected to exterior neglect and interior vandalism” over the past several years, the fire marshal’s office said.

The agency said witnesses “reported observing a juvenile on the property before the fire” Sunday, and ask those with information to call the Northeast Regional Tipline at 410-386-3050.