On Tuesday, March 22, 2005 Wilmington Fire Department units responded to an apartment fire located at 3037 North Market Street. Upon arrival, units found heavy fire emitting from the first floor of a two story 20' x 50' apartment building. Due to the volume of fire additional units were notified to respond by Battalion Chief Ed Hojnicki. Fire extended to additional rooms on the first floor with heavy smoke conditions throughout the building.
Occupants of the first floor, a mother and two minors, escaped the fire, however all three suffered burns. The mother suffered first and second degree burns to her lower extremities, a second child suffered first and second degree burns also to her lower extremities, and the third child suffered numerous burns to her upper and lower extremities and is listed in critical condition. All three are presently at Crozier-Chester Hospital.
The fire was contained to the first floor of the building with extensive damage throughout the remaining structure.
The Wilmington Fire Marshal's Office along with the State Fire Marshal's Task Force are conducting an investigation as to the cause of the fire.
The fire was contained to two rooms on the first floor with some extension into the walls to the second floor. The remainder of the building suffered smoke and heat damage. The building was deemed uninhabitable by the License and Inspection Department of the City of Wilmington. The building is described as a two-story, masonry, building with three apartments and one commercial occupancy.
There does not appear to have been any working smoke detectors on the first floor of the building, however, there were working smoke detectors in the second floor apartment above the fire.
The fire was placed under control at 0106 hours with fire department units remaining on the scene until after 0700 this morning.
