Abingdon Townhouse Blaze Caused $105K in Damage: Fire Marshal

ABINGDON, MD — Improperly discarded smoking materials sparked a fire inside an Abingdon townhouse Thursday morning that resulted in more than $100,000 in damage, according to the fire marshal.

At 7:58 a.m., a neighbor noticed smoke coming from the eaves of a home in the 100 block of Laurel Valley Court while he was walking his dog, so he called 911, the Office of the State Fire Marshal reported.

Approximately 20 firefighters responded and had the fire controlled within 10 minutes.

"The neighbor as well as the fire department should be commended for observing and a quick response for containing the fire to the living room and causing minimal damage to the adjacent homes," the fire marshal said in a statement.

The fire was contained to the couch in the living room.

The tenant allegedly told investigators that he had been smoking before leaving the townhouse approximately half an hour before the fire was reported, according to officials.

A kitten who was initially thought to have perished was later found unharmed and taken to a veterinarian for an evaluation, the fire marshal reported.

There was $80,000 in structural damage to the residence. Officials said items worth $25,000 were also lost.

Photos courtesy of the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

INITIAL REPORT — Crews from several fire companies responded to a one-alarm house fire Thursday morning in Abingdon, officials said.

The blaze involved a townhouse in the 100 block of Laurel Valley Court and was reported at approximately 8 a.m., according to Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.

Nobody was injured, Gardiner said.

The fire marshal was investigating the cause.