MILFORD, Del. - Investigators with the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office have ruled the devastating fire at Lulu M Ross Elementary School in October was accidental.
B. Scott Bullock, Assistant State Fire Marshal, said in a press conference Thursday that the Carlisle Fire Company was notified of an alarm at the school just before 4:15 a.m. on Oct. 25. Firefighters arrived to find flames extending from the roof. First responders then called for additional crews to battle the fire.
The fire was placed under control at about 7:40 a.m., according to Bullock.
Bullock said the ensuing investigation into the fire was “very complex and detailed.” On Nov. 12, he announced officials had classified the fire as accidental. According to Bullock, the fire began in a display case with sliding glass doors in a hallway. A failure in a fluorescent light fixture attached to the case caused the initial fire, according to Bullock.
The top of the case, Bullock said, was open to the area above the ceiling, which contained all of the school’s mechanical systems above the school. The fire then progressed in that area, where there were no fire or smoke detection devices, according to Bullock.
The investigation found the fire burned for 17 minutes before it was detected.
In that time, Bullock said the fire then extended through the roof of the school, resulting in heavy fire and water damage.
The Fire Marshal’s Office has not yet established a total monetary loss from the damage, as assessments continue to progress daily.
Milford School District Superintendent Travis Moorman said insurance adjusters and investigators are still inventorying the school, documenting damaged items and determining what can be salvaged.
“There's still probably several, several weeks of process involved with that,” Moorman said. “Before we get an idea of the value of the loss, which would then help us kind of move forward with the state in determining if it's appropriate to rebuild or renovate.”
Moorman said the recovery could take two to three years, depending on the decisions made about the building.
For now, second through fifth grade students from Lulu Ross will continue attending classes at Milford Middle School, while sixth graders are at Central Academy.
Moorman said the district has been grateful for the support from the community, including donations of school supplies and other resources to help students and staff adjust.
