UPDATE: Chicken House Fire in Dorchester Co. Ruled Arson

UPDATE: Deputy State Fire Marshals have determined that the chicken house fire that occurred on Wednesday night was the result of arson. 

The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal announced on Thursday morning that the chicken house owned by Hadyat Mazhar was intentionally ignited.

Authorities are asking members of Rhodesdale that have residential cameras to view them to see if they have footage of any people or vehicles in the area at the time of the fire. You may reach investigators by telephone at their office at 410-713-3780 or by calling the Arson Hotline at 1-800-492-7529. 

A reward of up to $5,000.00 may be available for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

RHODESDALE, Md. – The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal is investigating a fire that damaged a chicken house in Dorchester County on Tuesday night.

At approximately 9:37 p.m. on Nov. 4, crews from the Eldorado-Brookview Volunteer Fire Department responded to Cokesbury Road following the report of a structure fire. The fire, which set ablaze a chicken house that was being used for storage, was discovered by a neighbor in the area. 

Sixty firefighters responded to the scene following two alarms, battling the blaze for 90 minutes. The total damage to the property is estimated to be $30,000.

The preliminary cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation by authorities. Anyone with information regarding this fire is urged to contact Deputy State Fire Marshals at 410-713-3780 or to call the Arson Tip Line at 1-800-492-7529.

This article was originally published on Nov. 5 at 11:36 a.m.