Residential High Rise Structure Fire

April 21, 2022

At 3:50 AM on April 16, 2022, Wilmington Firefighters on the C platoon were dispatched to a residential high-rise structure fire at 2400 N. Broom Street. Fire department units arrived on the scene to find a heavy smoke condition on the fifth floor of the 12-story high-rise building housing 160 units. The initial incident commander, Battalion Chief Demetrius Todd, requested additional companies to respond due to confirmation of a kitchen fire in unit 507.

Crews made an aggressive interior fire attack as the building sprinkler system contained the fire to the kitchen of unit 507. Simultaneously, additional crews searched all levels of the dwellings for occupants in the need of assistance evacuating. 

The incident commander placed the scene under control at 5:17 AM. The kitchen of unit 507 sustained heavy fire damage while the rest of the unit and corridor of the fifth floor sustained significant smoke damage. Units 407 & 307 directly below sustained water damage.

The Wilmington Fire Marshal’s Office responded and is investigating the origin and cause of the fire. Wilmington License & Inspections responded and deemed three units uninhabitable. One civilian was transported to Wilmington Hospital ER for difficulty breathing, and was treated, and released. There were no firefighter injuries.

Approximately 37 fire and EMS personnel responded to the fire. The following units responded: Engine 5, Squad 4, Engine 3, Engine 1, Engine 2, Ladder 1, Ladder 2, Battalion-1, Battalion-2, F-17, F-1, FM-12, St. Francis EMS, New Castle County Paramedics, Wilmington License & Inspection, and DP&L.

Public Safety Notice – The Wilmington Fire Department reminds residents and visitors to the city, that smoke detectors save lives and are critical to home safety. The Wilmington Fire Department offers free smoke detectors and installation to any resident that owns a home in the city. The Smoke Alarm Hotline is (302) 571- 4361 or visit www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/public-safety/wilmington-fire-department. Additionally, the fire department would like to remind residents of the importance of closing doors while they sleep. For more information on close your door while you snooze https://closeyourdoor.org