The Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal is investigating multiple structure fires across Sussex County in recent days.
On Sunday morning, a structure fire was reported in Seaford, in the 5000 block of Boyce Road shortly after 12:30. The Seaford Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the scene where they encountered a two-story farmhouse engulfed in smoke and flames.
The fire remains under investigation at this time. The structure was unoccupied at the time of the fire. There were no reported injuries.
Despite the property being unoccupied at the time, the damages are estimated to be around $250,000 according to Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal John Galaska.
Later the same day, the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department responded to a house fire in 24000 block of Nine Foot Road in Dagsboro. The fire, which erupted shortly after 2:00 A.M., caused extensive damage to the single-family dwelling, with the cost of damages reaching approximately $350,000. No injuries were reported. Galaska said state fire investigators determined the cause to be an electrical malfunction.
The series of Sussex County fires continued with an incident in Ellendale on Monday morning. Responding to a call just before 5:00 A.M., the Ellendale Volunteer Fire Company found a relatively small fire causing structural damage near a heating unit in a residence at the 18000 block of Fleatown Road.
The quick response of the fire services, along with mutual aid, mitigated what could have been a more severe situation. The occupant of the home managed to escape unharmed. Galaska said investigators concluded that a malfunction in the heating unit was the cause, estimating the damage at $10,000.