LEWES, Del.- A 2-year-old boy died and seven other people were injured in a Thursday morning house fire in Lincoln.
The blaze happened shortly before 9:50 a.m. at a home on East Mayhew Drive off of Fleatown Road. Jay Jones, a spokesman for the Ellendale Volunteer Fire Company said it was reported that a number of people were trapped inside the home and first responders found flames shooting from the building.
"It just looked bigger than what it was in that split second," said Tyna Jones, who lives across the street from the home that caught fire and saw flames quickly overtake the house.
Jones said firefighters initially had been told there were people trapped on both the second and basement floors of the home, though the person believed to have been on the second floor was believed to have escaped outside.
The 2-year-old's body was found inside the burning home and recovered from the scene. His body was transferred to the custody of the Delaware Division of Forensic Science for an autopsy, according to Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael G. Chionchio. The child's name has not yet been released.
Seven other residents were transported to Milford Memorial Hospital for examination. Two victims suffered from smoke inhalation. All seven have since been released from the hospital, Chionchio said.
Heavy fire damage was estimated at $250,000.
The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation.
This is the 11th fire death in the state of Delaware for 2017, compared to nine in 2016, according to Chionchio.
(Photo: WBOC)
