The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the blaze at an abandoned Army apartment complex in Harford as an arson — the second time in a month an empty county building has burned.
“The building’s been completely destroyed. The fire was through the roof when they pulled up,” said Deputy State Fire Marshal Joe Zurolo. “Right now there’s just four walls standing there.”
The early Friday morning fire occurred at the Washington Court complex, a cluster of former Army-housing apartments now owned by the county, according to fire and emergency medical services spokesman Dave Williams.
The old, marginally maintained fire hydrants required two water tankers as backup, he said.
Empty since the 1980s, the apartments behind Edgewood Elementary School have been used by police for practicing raids and maneuvers, and people willing to trade sanitation, electricity and comfort for a roof and isolation.
The area receives frequent patrols and crime there is not a problem, said Sgt. Dave Betz, Harford County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
Harford has turned the complex over to the Baltimore City-based Shelter Group to be leveled and redeveloped as single-family houses, town houses and senior apartments, but the project has been held up by concerns about asbestos removal.
Another of the abandoned buildings in the apartment complex was burned by an arsonist in late 2002 and was torn down.
“The last time there was a fire there, they said they were going to tear the [entire complex] down. We’re still waiting,” Zurolo said.
In late July, a fire at another empty county-owned building was ruled arson. The fire at the empty garage at the corner of Routes 40 and 152 — slated to be demolished and redeveloped as county offices and the Sheriff’s Southern Precinct — has not been connected to the recent arson.
