UPDATE: House Explosion in Dagsboro Deemed Accidental; Investigation Ongoing
UPDATE: The Delaware State Fire Marshal has determined that last September’s house explosion in Dagsboro was accidental in nature.
Officials say the incident is still under active investigation as an accidental explosion involving liquified petroleum gas, with no indications of criminal activity. Evidence collected from the case has been handed over to engineers and experts in the industry for further examination and analysis.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal says they cannot specify a time frame for the completion of the further analysis at this time.
DAGSBORO, Del. – The Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department responded to a house explosion that trapped two on Tuesday morning. At approximately 7:06 a.m. on Sept. 30, crews were dispatched to the 25000 block of Gum Tree Road for a residential explosion. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a fully collapsed two-story house with the roof having been blown off into a nearby field.
Crews were able to recover one victim from the scene, who was transported to a nearby hospital in stable condition. Public information officer for Sussex County EMS Glenn Marshall tells us that another victim was found deceased after a thorough search of the remains of the house.
“We were advised that there may be another patient in there and, unfortunately, we did in fact after extensive search and rescue efforts find someone who was deceased,” Marshall said.
Human remains have been transported to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science for identification and an autopsy.
Over 100 firefighters responded to the scene. Emergency crews from Sussex, Kent, New Castle, Wicomico, and Worcester counties responded according to Frankford Volunteer Fire Company Public Information Officer Matthew Gajdos.
“The initial arriving company was Dagsboro Fire Department; they quickly requested assistance from multiple fire companies across the region,” Gajdos said.
Crews from oil company PepUp also responded to the scene. Delaware State Police Aviation Section conducted a flyover of area fields in search of the missing victim prior to recovering the body.
Officials said it could be several days before an exact cause is determined. The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing to investigate this incident.
“When we have an explosion of this nature, they are complex investigations and typically there is a lot of evidence that is collected at the scene. To have a determination of the exact cause of the incident could take several days,” Chief of Investigations at the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office B. Scott Bullock said.
No criminal activity is suspected. Total damages to the property are estimated to be $500,000.
This article was originally published on Sept. 30, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.
