Officials investigate fatal house fire in Bridgeville

BRIDGEVILLE, Del. – A community is rallying behind a Bridgeville family who lost everything in an overnight fire, including a family member.

A home that once provided shelter to a family of five is nearly completely gone. But this story is about more than just a pile of ashes, it’s about a life taken too soon. A life that a friend says belonged to a vibrant 90-year-old woman named Ms. Dot.

“This is just so unexpected. What a tragic end for such a beautiful person,” explains Earl Roberts, a friend of Ms. Dot.

Just before 10 p.m. Tuesday night, fire crews rushed to this family home on Coastal Highway in Bridgeville. It’s a fire that four others were able to escape from.

Now while investigators try and piece together where and how this fire started, a community remembers a wonderful woman.

“It’s hard to put into words because Ms. Dot was a beautiful soul and she was as quick as a spring chicken for 90-years-old you would have never thought it, she moved around just as good as you and I,” adds Roberts.

The Delaware State Fire Marshal says fatal fires like this one are never easy, especially during the holidays.

“We worked all night into this morning and we continue to work on it to bring some kind of closure to the family in determining why this occurred,” explains Michael Chionchio, Asst. State Fire Marshal.

“It’s just a sad, sad story right now heart broken.”

The State Fire Marshal says this is an ongoing investigation as they try and figure out why and where the fire started.

This fatal fire puts Delaware at 11 for lives lost in fires this year. We’re told eight of those didn’t have any smoke alarms or working ones.

The community is already rallying behind the family asking people to donate items that were lost in the fire. The Good Ole Boy Foundation is spearheading the efforts and currently asking for lightly used clothing items but mainly gift cards.