An unoccupied Ellicott City townhouse was destroyed by a fire yesterday morning, fire officials said.

The house, which was under construction near Kaiser Drive and Executive Park Drive, caught fire about 9:40 a.m., said M. Sean Kelly, a spokesman for the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. No one was at the house at the time of the fire, which was extinguished about 11:30 a.m., Kelly said.

Authorities are investigating, Kelly said.