A maintenance worker, while attempting to thaw frozen pipes, accidentally sparked a fire that significantly damaged a townhouse in Edgewood on Sunday afternoon.
Just after 1 p.m. on Sunday, emergency responders were dispatched to the 2000 block of Rockwell Street in Edgewood for the report of a fire in a one-story, end of group townhouse.
A maintenance technician was using a heat gun as well as a hair dryer to thaw pipes when he observed smoke coming from the interior of a bathroom wall. The fire extended upwards towards the attic. Both the maintenance technician as well as the0 occupant of the home were able to safely escape.
Twenty-five firefighters from the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company assisted by Aberdeen Proving Ground and Abingdon responded to the single-alarm blaze and had it under control within 5 minutes.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal estimated the fire caused $35,000 in damage to the structure and another $10,000 in damage to its contents. There were no injuries reported.
The occupant was relocated to another unit.
Setting the residence a blaze is one way to thaw the pipes.
PIPES GOOD AND THAWED NOW, EARL.
I wonder if the maintenance man’s insurance company will pay for the damages or will the homeowner’s insurance have to pay?
It is a very poorly written article like many here. The unit is a rental and the maintenance man is an employee of the complex. Information that was widely reported in online news sources Hope that answers your questions Pam