DAYTON — A fire at the former Harem strip club in Harrison Twp. is considered suspicious, fire officials said.
The fire was first reported just after 6 a.m.
Flames could be seen coming from the roof of the building around 9 a.m. after it had reignited.
Harrison Twp. Fire Chief Mark Lynch said the pack of water from the sprinkler system contributed to the fire spreading quickly.
In 2017, the state revoked The Harem’s liquor permit. The former strip club on north Dixie Drive closed the same year after it was declared a nuisance in court. This was after 11 people were indicted for drug and sex crimes. Undercover agents said they were able to exchange food stamps people would trade.
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Montgomery County prosecutor Mat Heck called it a “sex and drug den.”
Earlier this year, The Harem was sold at a sheriff’s auction and In February, the new owners told News Center 7 they wanted to turn the building into a sports bar.
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Cox Media Group