The Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal has determined that this afternoon’s fire that heavily damaged a Newark, Delaware home was accidental, according to Michael Chionchio, Assistant State Fire Marshal.
The Aetna Hose, Hook, and Ladder Company responded to the 1600 block of Old Baltimore Pike shortly before 4:00 pm for a 9-1-1 report of a house on fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene with flames shooting out of a second-floor bedroom.
State fire investigators were called to the scene to conduct the investigation. The fire originated inside a 2nd-floor bedroom when an electric power strip malfunctioned igniting household items nearby. Five people escaped unharmed. Two firefighters were treated and released from the Christiana Hospital for burns.
Heavy fire damage was estimated at $200,000. There were no operating smoke alarms. Five adults and one child are displaced. The American Red Cross is providing emergency assistance to those displaced.