State Marshal Investigates Fires At Vacant Buildings

Arson Suspectedin Series Of Four Blazes

The state Fire Marshal's office is investigating whether a string ofrecent barn and vacant building fires in the county is the work of an arsonist.

A fire in Waterloo on Tuesday is the fourth suspiciousfire in three weeks involving vacant buildings, county fire records show.

Tuesday's fire occurred at a vacant house on Old Waterloo Road near Port Capital Drive.

The fire began at approximately 8 p.m., directly across from the site where someone set fire to a vacant barn onSunday.

Firefighters say the barn was a total loss; a damage estimate on

the two-story home was not available.

Another suspicious fire gutted a barn March 20 in the 3100 block of Route 97 in Glenwood.

On March 10, a county Department of Recreation and Parks barn was set afire and destroyed in the 10500 block of Boones Lane in Ellicott City.

Investigators are attempting to determine how the fireswere set and whether the same person may be responsible, firefighters said.

No one has been injured in any of the fires.

Fire marshals have not determined whether the fires are related and are continuing the investigation, said Bob Thomas, deputy chief fire marshal.