LINCOLN, Del. - A child playing with a lighter caused a house fire in Lincoln Wednesday morning, according to the Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal. The fire caused an estimated $200,000 in damage but resulted in no injuries.
The fire was reported shortly after 7:30 a.m. in the 10000 block of Ryans Run. The Ellendale Volunteer Fire Company, along with several mutual aid departments, arrived to find heavy fire coming from a single-family home.
All occupants were inside the home at the time but managed to evacuate safely before EMS arrived. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control, and cleared the scene in about two hours.
Deputy fire marshals determined the fire started in a bedroom and was caused by a child playing with a lighter and "igniting combustible materials." The child has been referred to the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Program.
Officials say the home was equipped with smoke detectors, which likely helped the occupants escape unharmed.
Another fire broke out on Monday on Johnson Road in Lincoln. This fire was found to be caused by an unattended fire in a burn barrel, says the fire marshal's office. This incident sent a firefighter and the homeowner to the hospital.