Newark – The Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal has determined that a fire inside a Newark, Delaware hotel this afternoon was accidental, according to Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael Chionchio.
Chionchio said the blaze, reported shortly after 4:30 pm, occurred on the fourth floor of the Towne Place Suites by Marriott located at 410 Eagle Run Road. The Christiana Fire Company responded to the fire.
State fire investigators responded to the fire and conducted the investigation. The fire originated inside a guest room on the fourth floor. A cardboard box was placed on top of a stove and accidentally turned the burner on when the box contacted the burner control knob. The fire was extinguished by the building’s fire sprinkler system. A sprinkler head detected the flames on top of the stove and opened. The open sprinkler head sprayed water onto the flames putting out the fire, said Chionchio.
Residents will be moved to other Marriott hotels in the area until the building is reopened. There were no reported injuries. The building fire alarm system activated alerting the occupants to evacuate the building.
Original Breaking Release
Newark – Just after 4:00 pm this afternoon fire crews from across New Castle County responded to the TownePlace Suites on Route 273 for reports of a hotel room on fire.
Arriving crews found heavy smoke conditions coming from a room on the fourth floor. Crews forced the door open an began to knock the fire down.
As crews worked the fire additional crews evacuated the hotel and began a search potential victims. The searches results were negative. A guest staying the hotel told firefighters that he had two cats. Firefighters were able to located one of the cats but it’s not clear where the other one is at this time.
Crews were able to keep the fire contained to the kitchen area of the original room. Water and smoke damage was more extensive.
Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder, along with Christiana Fire Company, Cranston Heights, Wilmington Manor and Goodwill all responded to this incident.
