A fire that investigators say was caused by a Verizon worker resulted in an estimated $70,000 in damage to an Abingdon townhouse early Thursday afternoon, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office reported.
The fire was reported at 11:26 a.m. in the 200 block of High Meadow Terrace, in the Constant Friendship neighborhood, according to a notice of investigation from the Fire Marshal's Office. Monitored Harford County emergency radio broadcasts reported a "working fire" in the basement area of the home.
No one was injured in the fire. Firefighters from Abingdon, Bel Air, Joppa and Aberdeen Proving Ground companies spent about 30 minutes controlling the fire, the Fire Marshal's Office said.
The fire was discovered by a homeowner in the front of the home after the Verizon employee accidentally drilled into the main electric service line while installing FiOS service, according to the Fire Marshal's Office's notice of investigation.