Fire burns Oak Orchard home

An Oak Orchard fire July 12 damaged a home and displaced residents.

The fire was was reported about 12:30 p.m., at a home on Circle Drive in Orchard Manor. Firefighters from Indian River, Lewes and Millsboro responded to find heavy fire from the front and roof of the home, Indian River officials said in a press release. 

Emergency response crews searched the home to make sure no one was trapped inside, officials said, and to protect the surrounding area from the fire.

Officials said firefighters had difficulty ventilating the roof because there were multiple layers of roofing for an A-frame structure placed over a modified single-wide manufactured home – multiple additions to the home gave it the appearance of a normal residential structure. Interior firefighters could not penetrate the manufactured home roofing and requested holes cut from the exterior. The incident command requested evacuation tones be activated because of insufficient water supply, officials said.   

Sussex County Paramedics and Millsboro EMS units provided a rehab station and performed evaluation of firefighting personnel as needed, and the American Red Cross was notified to assist with the displaced occupants.

Officials said the Delaware State Fire Marshal is investigating, but it appears the fire may have originated on the exterior front porch area and spread throughout the A-frame roof and interior of the structure. There was a partial roof collapse of the section that was remaining.