Cause of Abingdon Townhouse Fire Determined: Fire Marshal

ABINGDON, MD — Authorities said five people were displaced and a pet was believed to have been lost due to a house fire Wednesday afternoon in Abingdon.

At 2:35 p.m., crews responded to a working house fire in the 3000 block of Tree Frog Court, according to Jenn Chenworth, spokeswoman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.

Additional firefighters were called to the middle-of-the-group townhouse to assist, she said.

First responders from Bel Air, Joppa-Magnolia, APG, Aberdeen and Kingsville were reportedly among the 50 personnel at the scene.

Crews put out the fire within approximately 30 minutes, according to Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.

Two adults and three teens were displaced as a result, he said.

The family was being assisted by the Red Cross, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Upon investigation, officials determined the fire began in a second-floor front bedroom; and while the precise cause remains under investigation, the fire marshal said that "an unattended candle igniting combustibles cannot be ruled out."

A kitten was thought to have perished as the result of the blaze, the fire marshal reported.

There was a total of $100,000 in damage — $80,000 was in structural damage, while $20,000 worth of items inside were lost, according to the fire marshal.

Photo Credit: John Gallagher, Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company. Two photos directly in front of the residence, courtesy of the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

File photo.