Fire At Bel Air Town Center Forces Businesses To Temporarily Close: Official

BEL AIR, MD — During the heart of the holiday shopping rush, a fire broke out at the Bel Air Town Center, forcing several businesses to shut down the morning of Dec. 22.

The fire, which was discovered by an employee, breached a utility room at a property occupied by JCR Companies around 11:45 a.m., according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. A sprinkler in the utility room was able to control the fire until firefighters arrived, fire officials said.

It took 25 firefighters from the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company around 10 minutes to extinguish the flames, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Six businesses were forced to temporarily close following the fire due to the loss of electricity, fire officials said. Those businesses included Liberatores, Rainbow King, C.R Wings and Poke Bowl, the Office of the State Fire Marshal reported. Barretts on the Pike was not affected. The loss has been estimated at $25,000.