News

Early Morning Structure Fire Displaces Family
Thursday, April 6, 2006

On early Tuesday morning April the 4th, at approx. 0325 hours, the LFD, along with automatic mutual aid from Delmar and Sharptown Fire Departments, were dispatched to a structure fire on Washington Street. Asst. Chief Rob Givens responded in Command 81. Givens had a visual on the fire from approx. 2 miles away, and confirmed a working alarm. Givens arrived on scene to find a 2-½-story wood frame structure, with heavy fire in the rear. E-4 with Asst. Chief Alan Schweitzer arrived and crew placed a 1-¾ inch hose line in service in the rear, and to the exposure on side ?D?. Tower 81 with Chief Mark Sheridan arrived, and backed down the street and set-up for operations. While the Tower was being set-up, additional firefighters from the truck pulled a 2-½ inch blitz line and assisted E-4 crew. Truck 74 arrived and set-up on the exposure ?D? side. Deputy Chief Joe Morris Jr. (Delmar) was advised by Givens to take Operations of the incident. Water supply was established, and the fire was knocked down enough from the exterior crews to make entry. Sharptown firefighters arrived and crews were put together to advance into the structure. Chief Billy White (Sharptown) was designated interior officer and crews advanced two 1-¾ inch hose lines into the structure. Firefighters encountered fire on both floors, but were able to extinguish all but what was in the attic area. Tower 81 extinguished the remainder of the fire in the attic area, that interior crews could not gain access to. Additional units were called in from Blades, Georgetown, and Gumboro. They assisted in relieving first in crews, and with extensive overhaul. Asst. Chief Givens placed the incident under control at 0540 hours. Despite the efforts of firefighters fire had succumbed nearly half the house upon the arrival of the first engine, and the home was a total loss. Fire Marshal determined the cause to be a faulty extension cord in the rear of the home. Last units were placed in service at 0720 hours.
Departments on scene: Laurel, Delmar, Sharptown, Blades, Georgetown, Gumboro, and SCEMS. Thanks to Seaford FD for standing-by in Laurel for duration of the alarm. Also Stacy Northam-Smith for the photos.