Investigators say that a fire which destroyed an affordable housing development which was under construction in Asheville has been ruled arson.
Investigators from the Asheville Fire Department, Asheville Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said the fire at the apartment complex being built on Hilliard Avenue was the result of criminal activity, WSPA-TV reports, citing a fire department news release.
Firefighters were called to the two-story building during the early morning hours of June 19.
The large fire quickly destroyed the building.
A reward of $2,500 is being offered by the ATF for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for setting the fire.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Buncombe County Crime Stoppers at 828-255-5050 or the ATF’s toll-free hotline at 888-283-8477.