Smoke Alarms Save Couple From Abingdon Townhouse Fire: Officials

ABINGDON, MD — Smoke alarms are credited with saving the lives of a couple whose townhouse was the site of an electrical fire early Thursday morning. This was the second fire in as many weeks in Harford County in which smoke alarms have played a vital role.

Fire broke out at 4:13 a.m. on Thursday in the 3100 block of Tipton Way. The husband and wife who live there were awakened by the sound of smoke alarms, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

When the couple found that smoke was coming from their basement, they escaped and called 911.

The fire marshal said that approximately 25 firefighters from Abingdon, Bel Air, Joppa-Magnolia and APG responded and controlled the blaze within five minutes.

Crews that were first at the scene reported seeing black smoke coming from the front door, according to the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company. They subsequently located and extinguished a fire in the basement.

"The fire department is commended for a quick response and containing the fire to the utility room," the Office of the State Fire Marshal said in a statement.

The fire started in the basement utility room of the two-story, middle-of-the-group townhouse, the fire marshal reported.

According to authorities, the blaze caused $5,000 in damage; there was $2,500 in structural damage, and $2,500 worth of items inside the building were lost as well.

The fire was ruled accidental, due to a failed electric water heater that ignited nearby combustibles.

Nobody was injured in the blaze, officials said.

"Deputy State Fire Marshals credit working smoke alarms for alerting the owners and allowing both to escape safely," the fire marshal said in a statement.

SEE ALSO: Smoke Alarms Save Lives Of Sleeping Joppa Residents

Photos of the Abingdon townhouse fire courtesy of the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company.