Morning fire in Lewes leaves one dead

A fast-moving fire that swept through a travel trailer early Thursday in the Tall Pines Campgrounds near Lewes claimed the life of the occupant, fire officials said.

The blaze broke out shortly after 1 a.m. at a travel trailer in the 29000 block of Field Road.

Firefighters found the trailer engulfed in flames upon arrival, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael Chionchio.

The victim’s remains were turned over the state’s medical examiner for autopsy to determine the identity and cause of death. Chionchio did not know the sex of the deceased.

State fire marshal investigators are now on the scene trying to determine the cause and origin of the blaze.

Damage was estimated at $30,000, Chionchio said.

The death is the second fire fatality in the state this week, raising the total of fire deaths for the year to seven, down eight from last year’s 15 fatalities, Chionchio said.

On Monday, a house fire in the first block of S. Fawn Dr. in Newark left a 67-year-old man dead and a 66-year-old woman critically injured. Three others escaped uninjured.

The victim was identified as Wilber James Jr., said Ricky Nietubicz, administrator of Newark’s Department of Planning & Development.

The cause and origin of the fatal fire are still under investigation by the Newark Fire Marshal’s Office and the state Fire Marshal’s Office.

Contact Terri Sanginiti at (302) 324-2771 or tsanginiti@delawareonline.com