An Edgewood townhouse was heavily damaged in a Monday night fire discovered by a patrolling deputy with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, who was able to rescue a family dog but could not save three cats.
The fire was discovered shortly after 6:30 p.m. Monday in a townhouse on the 900 block of Topview Drive in Edgewood. According to Harford County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Edward Hopkins, while en route to provide backup to another officer, Deputy First Class Kevin Phillips observed light smoke coming from the home, whose owner was not present at the time.
After knocking on the door and receiving no answer, Hopkins said Phillips entered the home and encountered heavy smoke. The deputy was able to drag the homeowner’s unconscious dog from the residence, and the pet recovered as fire and EMS units arrived. However, according to the State Fire Marshal’s office, three cats perished in the fire. Phillips is a four-year veteran of the agency and is assigned to the Southern Precinct as a patrol officer.
The blaze was brought under control in about 10 minutes by 40 firefighters from the Joppa-Magnolia, Abingdon, Aberdeen Proving Ground, and Kingsville fire companies. Damage to the home was estimated at $25,000 and damages to its contents were estimated at $50,000, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The cause of the fire was traced to a mechanical malfunction in a dryer, and was ruled accidental.
And the officers name is….? I am sure if he screwed up, his name would be all over the place. Here an officer does good and he remains anonymous.
Good job Deputy
Very True.
Thank you to the officer. I wish they put his name in. The older gentleman is a relative of mine. He is with me while things are sorted out. I know he would like to thank the officer if he can find him.
I’ve updated the story with some additional detail and the name of the officer, Deputy First Class Kevin Phillips, a patrol officer in the Southern Precinct.