UPDATE: Two Fires At Same Home In Bethany Beach Under Investigat - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

BETHANY BEACH, Del. - The Delaware State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating two fires that occurred at the same home in the Bethany Dunes development within 24 hours.

Joe Hopple, the Public Information Officer with the Bethany Beach Fire Company, says the first fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night on the 31000 block of Heather Lane. Officials say it was a small fire on the side of the house and fire crews left the residence a little after 10:00 a.m.

According to Hopple, fire crews were dispatched back to that same house on Heather Lane at 3:25 a.m. on Thursday. When firefighters arrived on scene officials say the house was fully engulfed in flames and the homes on both sides were also involved in the fire.

The fire was under control around 6:00 a.m. As of 8:00 a.m., officials were still on scene using heavy equipment to tear down the remains of the house and put out the complete fire.

Hopple says the family was in the home at the time of the fire but escaped and there were no injuries reported. He also says the home was a total loss and there was significant damages to the homes on both sides.

"Complete loss, it is completely aground in fact we had to call in heavy excavating equipment to tear down the remains of the house so that we could finally put out the fire," he tells WMDT.

We met neighbor John Bostetter at the scene, who says he was scared to lose everything.

"I'm worried for my 86-year-old father who is asleep and has no clue what's going on. I got to unhook him I have no power the elevators not working. I got to get us out of the house. I thought for sure my house was going up," he says.

The State Fire Marshal's Office will determine the causes of the fires and if they are at all connected, as for the family the home was not their permanent residence. Officials tell us the Red Cross is not stepping in, because this was the families vacation home.