Fire at former Lealman bar ruled arson

The fire at the old Hideway Bar in Lealman has been deemed arson.

Firefighters got the call about the fire shortly before 2 a.m. Friday.  When they arrived, they found the building fully involved.

It took four fire departments and 50 firefighters more than an hour to knock down the fire.  As the did, heavy smoke spread across the neighborhood reaching to Pinellas Park and I-275, about two miles away.

No one was hurt in the blaze.

The cleanup has started at the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Lealman, located next to the building that was destroyed.  The fire cut off power and flooded out FOE Aerie.

FOE Secretary Larry Bischoff says it's amazing the building didn't catch fire.  It sits just a foot away from the Hideaway.

"The man upstairs was watching out for us," he said.

Investigators spent Friday digging through the charred remains of the building to determine what caused the fire. 

On Friday afternoon, they said they determined the fire had been intentionally set.  However, they are not releasing the alleged cause or the origin of the fire at the time.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS.  Information that leads to an arrest may be eligible for a reward.