Tuesday May, 26 2015 @ 11:59

Nature: Brush Fire

Location: Engine & Brush Assist

Address: 39055 Savages Ditch Rd., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Cross Streets: Coastal Hwy/Dead End

On Tuesday, May 26th, the Indian River (80), Bethany Beach (70), Lewes (82), Milton (85), Millville (84), and Roxana (90) fire companies were alerted to assist Rehoboth Beach (86) with a brush fire off of Savages Ditch Road near Rehoboth Beach. Many of these companies were requested for an engine and brush truck assist.

Additional resources were utilized from the Delaware Department of Agriculture, Forestry Section and its bulldozers for installation of fire stops, the Delaware State Police Aviation (Trooper 2) Unit for aerial observations, the Delaware State Fire Police for traffic control, and the Sussex County Paramedics as well as the Rehab Unit from Roxana.

The specific location of this brush fire was between Dewey Beach and the Indian River Inlet on the southbound shoulder of the roadway.

Initial requests for assistance from Indian River included:

• Brush Fire Assist;

• Marine Unit Assist with Brush Fire; and

• Engine Assist with cover up assignment.

The Marine Unit Assist was cancelled while in route to the launching location.

Indian River did have the opportunity to provide assistance at the scene location as well as standby cover up assignment with an actual alert for brush fire incident.

Additional information may be obtained by viewing the following websites:

• WGMD Radio 92.7

http://wgmd.com/breaking-fire-crews-battling-marsh-fire-south-of-dewey/

• Cape Gazette Newspaper

http://capegazette.villagesoup.com/p/bayside-fire-south-of-dewey-beach-under-control/1352354

Bayside fire south of Dewey Beach under control

A bayside brush fire that started in late morning hours of May 26 is under control, but not before burning 16 acres of marsh grass, shrubs and trees.

Erich Burkentine, Delaware Forest Service Southern Regional Forester, said the service's crew was dispatched to Savage Ditch Road off of Route 1 around 12:15 p.m. He said the crew pulled out around 3:25 p.m. after securing the area with a dozer line.

Burkentine said a combination of a strong southern wind and the easily combustible fuel found along the shore of Delaware's coastal region allowed the fire to catch easily.

"It was a perfect scenario for it to roll," he said on the fire's ability to spread quickly.

Fire crews from Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Millville, Bethany and Roxana were also called to the scene.

In addition to initial work done to control the fire by the volunteer firemen, Burkentine said the mosquito control ditches, running east to west from Route 1 to Rehoboth Bay, helped get the fire under control.

"If it weren't for those ditches it would have been a lot worse," he said. "The fire would have run to Dewey before anything would have been done."

Dewey Beach is nearly five miles to the north and the only thing in between where the fire started and the town is the Old Inlet Bait & Tackle shop about half a mile to the north.

In addition to cutting the dozer line, Burkentine said, the forest service did a burnout of potential fuel around the fire.

Burkentine said he was unaware of the cause of the fire at this point, but speculated that it could have been a cigarette. He said the fire started right next to the air pumping stations used by people who drive onto the beach on the oceanside of Savage Ditch Road.

No injuries were reported.