PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -A fire last spring at a vacant fraternity house at the University of Rhode Island was intentionally set and is now the subject of a criminal investigation, according to an investigator with the state Fire Marshal office.

The fire occurred in April at the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house. The boarded-up building had been vacant for about six months. No one was found in the building, and no injuries were reported.

Officials have said the building showed signs of vandalism.

Asked if the fire was arson, David Scott, an investigator with the fire marshal office, replied, “Not necessarily, if it was for a legitimate purpose, like a campfire.”

He refused to comment further on the case.

AP-ES-10-06-05 1443EDT