MILLSBORO, Del. – The Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal is investigating a fire that caused significant damage to a home and was the reason for the death of a woman on Dec. 7. The fire, reported shortly before 6 p.m., occurred in the 22000 block of Westwoods Road.
The Gumboro Volunteer Fire Company, along with mutual aid fire companies, arrived to find heavy fire engulfing a single-story home. A woman who was inside the house was rescued by neighbors before emergency crews arrived. She was transported by ambulance to TidalHealth Peninsula Regional Hospital in Salisbury in serious condition due to injuries sustained in the fire. The female victim, identified as Donna Jackson of Bridgeville, succumbed to her injuries on Dec. 9.
Delaware Deputy State Fire Marshals determined that the fire began in the front porch area of the home. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. Damage to the structure is estimated at $200,000.
The Gumboro Volunteer Fire Company and other assisting agencies worked together to bring the fire under control, but the house suffered extensive damage.
The investigation has so far revealed that the home was equipped with working smoke alarms. The state fire marshal's office shared an alarming statistic, this death brings the state total for fire related deaths to 15 for 2024.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
