Search crews recovered a woman’s body shortly before noon on Saturday following a devastating house fire in Wilmington, Delaware, according to the Wilmington Fire Department.
Officials said firefighters responded around 4:15 a.m. on May 2 to the 2000 block of North Harrison Street in the city’s Triangle neighborhood after receiving reports of a fire. The blaze grew so intense that crews had to evacuate the structure for safety reasons, leaving one person unaccounted for. Around 11:50 a.m., officials confirmed they had located the body of a woman.
When firefighters arrived, they encountered heavy fire engulfing all three floors of a three-story, semi-detached home. Crews immediately entered to search for occupants and begin suppressing the flames.
However, due to the extreme fire conditions, Battalion Chief Michael Khairzada, the incident commander, ordered all firefighters to evacuate the building, officials said.
The fire department reported that about 25 minutes into the incident, the front portion of the structure completely collapsed.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control after battling it for more than an hour. Officials said one firefighter sustained a minor hand injury.
Shortly before noon, crews reported that searchers discovered a woman’s body in the rubble at the fire scene.
Authorities have not identified the woman.
Officials said the adjoining home sustained moderate fire and smoke damage, while a neighboring dwelling experienced minor fire damage.
The Wilmington Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.