Crime & Safety

Edgewood Blaze Killed 3 Cats, Caused $75K in Damage, Fire Marshal Says

A Harford County sheriff's deputy who reportedly discovered the townhouse fire was able to rescue the family dog.

By: Elizabeth Janney 

A mechanical malfunction in an Edgewood townhouse started a fire Monday night that caused $75,000 in damage and took the lives of three cats, the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal reported.

At approximately 6:32 p.m. Monday, a deputy from the Harford County Sheriff's Office was conducting a routine patrol when he saw smoke coming from a home in the 900 block of Topview Drive, the report stated.

The deputy reportedly entered the middle-of-the-group townhouse, where the owner was not home, and rescued the family dog; three cats perished in the fire, according to the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal.

Forty firefighters from Joppa-MagnoliaAberdeen Proving Ground,Abingdon and Kingsville responded to the blaze, which took 10 minutes to control, according to the report.

When they arrived, there was fire in the basement, according to Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company.

The blaze in the Edgewater Village townhome reportedly caused $25,000 in structural damage; in addition, $50,000 worth of items inside the home were lost.

According to the fire marshal, the blaze was ruled accidental as the result of a mechanical malfunction within a dryer.

Two adults and one dog were displaced as a result of the fire, Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company reported Tuesday.


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