Shortly before 3:00 PM on Tuesday Wilmington Firefighters on the A platoon were alerted to a residential structure fire at 817 Vandever Avenue. Units arrived on scene to find smoke coming from the second floor rear of the residence. Firefighters advanced a hose line into the structure to find a second-floor bedroom fire. Simultaneously, additional crews began a search of the residence and found no one inside. Residents had escaped prior to fire department arrival. Crews quickly contained the fire to the area of origin and the scene was placed under control at 3:15 PM by the incident commander, Battalion Chief Richard Danner.
There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters. The Wilmington Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the origin and cause of the fire. Wilmington Licenses and Inspection has determined the residence to be uninhabitable. The American Red Cross was notified to assist with shelter for three adults and five children.