On January 3rd, 2002, firefighters were dispatched to 1315 West 4th Street in response to several calls reporting a house fire.
First arriving units found Heavy Fire conditions on the first floor of a 2 story, middle of the row, brick, single family dwelling. During suppression operations, the fire extended upwards to the second floor and cockloft area.
The fire extended laterally in the cockloft to the exposure at 1317 West 4th Street.
There was a family consisting of 4 Adults and 4 Children in the residence at the time the blaze broke out. All of the family members escaped without injury.
There is no indication that there were any working smoke detectors in the dwelling.
The original fire building suffered major damage and the exposure, which was vacant and under renovation, suffered major damage to the second floor and roof area.
It took 40 firefighters over 2 hours to bring this fire under control.
There were two firefighter injuries at this fire:
1) Firefighter Corey Ferrell, 33 years of age, 5 year veteran, was working on the roof during the fire, complained of dizziness and shortness of breath.
2) Firefighter Jose Prado, 37 years of age, 3 year veteran, was working inside the original fire building and sustained burns to both knees and thigh areas.
Both were treated and released from the Saint Francis Hospital Emergency Room.
The cause and origin are under investigation by the Wilmington Fire Department Fire Marshal?s Office.
The American Red Cross was notified and responded to assist the displaced family with lodging and necessities.
The Wilmington Fire Department was assisted at the scene by Ambulances from Keystone Ambulance and the Elsmere Fire Company, along with the New Castle County Paramedics.
The Talleyville, Elsmere, and Five Points Fire Companies provided apparatus and manpower to cover the city fire stations until Wilmington Firefighters could be called back.
