Just after 12:30 Wednesday afternoon, emergency dispatchers at the Sussex County 911 Center received a call reporting a residential fire in Oak Orchard, a small community east of Millsboro.
As crews responded to the fire in the 32000 block of Circle Drive they reported a towering column of smoke billowing into the sky, Upon their arrival, firefighters found a single-story residence heavily engulfed in flames.
About 15 minutes into the incident the incident commander reported heavy fire concentrated at the rear of the structure and that conditions were deteriorating. Just after 1:00 Command ordered an evacuation of the structure, concerned about the safety of the firefighters.
The fire brought a response from multiple fire companies, including Indian River, Lewes, Millsboro, and Rehoboth, alongside medical personnel.
Thorough searches of the property revealed no occupants were inside the structure. and no injuries were reported.
The firefighter worked for about an hour to extinguish the flames, command placing the incident under control just after 1:30.
The home appears to be a total loss.
