Electrical Malfunction Caused Edgewood Townhouse Blaze, Fire Marshal Says

A family of five was being helped by the Harford County Disaster Assistance team after a fire broke out in their Edgewood townhouse Thursday afternoon, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

One resident of the townhome in the 1700 block of Dearwood Court was asleep on the couch with his infant at 2:43 p.m. when he heard a smoke alarm go off, the fire marshal reported.

An electrical outlet on the wall had malfunctioned in the second-floor bedroom, igniting bedding in the children's room, according to the report, which stated the man lived there with an adult woman and three children. The townhouse was owned by Edgewood Management Corp.

The fire marshal said the man and his baby escaped and notified maintenance staff, located across the street, of the situation.

Thirty-five firefighters—from Joppa-Magnolia, Bel Air, APG and Abingdon—responded and controlled the blaze within 15 minutes, the report stated.

According to the report, the fire caused $30,000 in structural damage and $20,000 in damage to items inside the home.

The family was displaced by the fire, Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company reported.