Westminster swim club owner says weekend blaze was her ‘worst nightmare’

The former Meadow View Swim Club in Carroll County burned down Saturday after an unknown number of trespassers intentionally set two vacant structures on fire, investigators said.

The Westminster fire is believed to have started around 10:29 a.m., according to a news release from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. When firefighters from Pleasant Valley Community Fire Company arrived, two separate wood-framed structures were ablaze.

Paula Fritz, 69, of Westminster, owns the property and said she has lived a short distance from the pool her entire life. The swim club closed sometime between 1977 and 1980, she said.

Property damage has been an ongoing issue since last summer, Fritz said.

“[The fire] was my worst nightmare,” she said. “I had been fearing that something else was going to happen down there because we’ve had so much trouble with the juveniles in the area.”

The one-alarm fire took about 50 responders about an hour to control and caused $20,000 in damages, investigators said. No injuries were reported.

Police used a K-9 to determine that the fire was intentionally set, according to the news release.

Fritz recalled childhood memories of going to the pool and making friends in the community. She said hopes those involved in setting the fire will be held responsible.

“I just hope that they find whoever did this,” she said.

The exact origin of the fire is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Northeast Regional Office at 410-386-3050.