Sunday April, 21 2024 @ 13:27

Nature: Structure Fire – Outbuilding Fire

Address: 34506 Oak Lane Pots Nets Bayside, DE 19966

Cross Streets: Wood Duck Rd/Basin Cir

On Sunday, April 21^st, the Lewes (82) and Millsboro (83) fire departments were alerted to assist the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company with an outbuilding fire on Oak Lane in the Pot Nets Bayside development.  It was reported that a gas grill caught fire and now the shingles on a nearby detached garage are smoking.

Emergency response units from Indian River Incident Command 80 and Engine #80-3 from the Long Neck area and Tanker 80 from the Oak Orchard facility as well as the Delaware State Fire Police.  Additional emergency alerts included the Mid Sussex Rescue Squad and the Sussex County Paramedics.

Emergency response crew assignments included an initial exterior evaluation of the facilities identifying where the utility connections were located, evaluation for interior fire extensions as well as down-grading the incident response to just units from Indian River.

It appears that residents were cooking on a gas grill in the vicinity of detached garage causing the siding and shingles to become overheated after a brief grill fire.  After an interior and exterior evaluation was completed and verification that there were not any extensions all emergency apparatus was authorized to return to their respective quarters.

Please remember it is imperative to keep a reasonable distance between the grill and your home structures for safety.  Your home's siding may not catch fire, but it will sustain permanent and unsightly damage as it melts. To protect your home's siding from damage, place your grill or smoker at least 10 feet away from the exterior. If your patio doesn't extend past 10 feet, you may want to place it elsewhere, such as on your lawn.

Illustrated herewith are some outside grill safety tips.