Three children die in Millsboro house fire

MILLSBORO, Del. – Tragedy struck a small neighborhood in Millsboro Wednesday afternoon.

“At approximately 2:33 p.m., the DSP and the fire board received a 911 phone call at our emergency operations center for a reported fire,” Sergeant Richard Bratz with the Delaware State Police, said.

According to officials, fire and EMS quickly responded to the home on Scarp Street located in Pot Nets Development Bayside and found the back of it engulfed flames.

On the inside though the damage was already done.

“Upon entering the residence we encountered heavy smoke and found three children deceased all under the age of five,” Bratz said.

The one positive, Delaware State Police say, is that not everyone in the home lost their life to the fire.

“One other child was removed from the residence by a parent,” Bratz said.

For most of the afternoon and evening, officials had the scene blocked off to the public as they tried to figure out how the fire started.

Meanwhile, on the outside of the police tape, neighbors mourned the loss of 3 young lives, in a neighborhood they say is tight knit and close.

“They pretty much stick together and they’re close, yeah, most of them, we’re real close,” one neighbor, John Albanese, said.

And as the family and neighborhood tries to pick up the pieces, police say they’ll be there for them through it all.

“The community, friends, and family, and whatever they need, the Delaware state police, the fire Marshall’s, the fire departments, EMS first responders are all here for them, so we can get through this together,” Bratz said.