Update: 6:07 p.m.Update: 6:07 p.m.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue (MCFR) officials said Thursday the
fire that burned a Silver Spring business to a shell was intentionally
set.

An initial investigation using police dogs detected a flammable liquid, MCFR Spokesman Capt. Oscar Garcia
said.

Investigators have collected evidence on the scene and are sending it
to a lab to confirm the fire was an act of arson.

Original post, 9:42 a.m.

A fire forced a downtown Silver Spring barbershop to close its doors Thursday.

Montgomery County firefighters were dispatched to the scene about 2:35 a.m.  for a report of a fire at Ebony Unisex Barbers—located at 936 Bonifant St., Montgomery County Fire and Rescue (MCFR) Spokesman Capt. Oscar Garcia said.

Barbershop owners Norman Jones and Michael A. Bailey said they were flabbergasted by what they saw, but not surprised. Within the past two weeks their shop has been a target for vandalism and arson, Bailey said.

A distraught Bailey described the series of events which started on the week of Thursday, June 14.

“We replaced the glass that Friday morning. That Sunday night they started a fire again. They poured gasoline to start a fire which cracked the new [store-front] glass and the door glass. So we replaced the glass that Monday and here we are again,” he said.

In Thursday’s fire, a majority of the store was destroyed including computers, televisions, chairs, and important paperwork, the owners said. At this point, it’s unclear if the store will reopen, but until then 14 people will be out of jobs.

MCFR is currently investigating this incident as a suspicious fire in which a possible incendiary device was used, said Garcia.

No injuries were reported.