Officials are investigating a structure fire that occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning, heavily damaging a commercial building in Selbyville.
The fire was first reported in the unit block of Mason Drive, near the Maryland state line, just before 4:00 am. Upon arrival, Selbyville Volunteer Fire Company (SVFC) personnel were met with a fully engulfed commercial fire at the Red Sun Custom Apparel shop. Mutual aid fire companies from the area joined the firefighting efforts.
SVFC Chief Travis Timmons assumed command of the situation and informed incoming units that it would be necessary to approach the fire as a defensive operation with the utilization of ladder pipe operations, officials said Saturday
Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters extended their efforts by deploying two hand lines. Their objective was to gain control over the spread of the fire around the structure and protect nearby exposures.
In parallel, Tower 88 and Tower 90 were positioned, ensuring a secure water supply. They initiated the operation by deploying their ladder pipes to combat and suppress the majority of the fire.
Additional crews were also engaged in the response efforts. Their responsibilities included assisting in the removal of sheet metal and addressing hot spots to further mitigate the incident according to a social media post on SVFC’s Facebook page..
Officials from the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s office are presently on-site, actively investigating the incident to determine its origin and cause. The building was unoccupied at the time the fire was discovered, as confirmed by officials on Saturday. The fire resulted in extensive damage, with an estimated cost exceeding $750,000, according to Michael Chionchio, Assistant State Fire Marshal.