SHCO Firefighter Injured in Cecil Duplex Blaze

A member of the Susquehanna Hose Company had minor injuries as the result of firefighting operation in Elkton Monday morning, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The firefighter was treated and released from Christiana Hospital, the fire marshal reported. He was battling the blaze outside the duplex in the 100 block of Osage Street in Elkton when the chimney collapsed and debris hit him, resulting in a back injury, according to the Cecil Whig, which reported firefighters had evacuated from the home as conditions inside were worsening, making it unsafe.

The fire started in the basement of the duplex at 3:50 a.m. on Monday, the fire marshal reported. It took two and a half hours for crews to bring it under control, according to the report.

Approximately 70 firefighters responded—from Singerly, Chesapeake City, North East, Charlestown, Perryville, Rising Sun, Oxford (of Chester County, PA), Newark (DE), Susquehanna Hose Company and Aberdeent—the report said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, the fire marshal said Monday afternoon.

Two residents discovered the blaze and reported it, according to the fire marshal. They are being assisted by the Red Cross and so is their neighbor who also lives in the duplex, as the house is considered a total loss, the fire marshal said.

The blaze caused $120,000 in structural damage; and $100,000 worth of items inside were lost as well, according to the report.

Photo Credit: Screenshot from Singerly Fire Company’s YouTube video of the duplex fire.