On Wednesday, July 26th, firefighters from the Delmar Fire Department (Wicomico Station 74) were dispatched for an odor investigation on Pine Street in a renovated commercial structure.
Station 74 firefighters and Paramedic Bill Nutter entered the structure and took initial readings which showed a carbon monoxide concentration of 147ppm as well as high readings of sulfur dioxide. The crew regrouped and upgraded the alarm to a hazardous materials incident bringing in mutual aid companies from the west side of Wicomico County.
Upon the arrival of the mutual aid companies and Delmar's Officer 74-19 (Andrew Rementer) handling incident command, crews regrouped and conducted further readings as well as conferred with the gas company.
The culprit source was a forklift operated in the enclosed structure. Crews ventilated the structure, went through decontamination, and took up after about four hours.
