As the Dewey Beach prepared for the recently nor’easter, nobody could foresee the terrific fire that took place on Carolina Street.
Early in the morning of Oct. 12, a storm was battering the Delmarva coast with rain and 35 to 50 mph winds. Around 3:30 a.m., smoke was detected on the streets of Dewey Beach. As the Dewey Beach Police searched for the cause of the smoke, they quickly discovered a home on fire. With strong storm winds out of the east, the fire had the potential to quickly spread to other homes and down the block. The police immediately called in the fire to Rehoboth Dispatch Center who alerted the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company. Within minutes after the call, the RBVFC was on the scene battling the fully engulfed house. Under the experienced leadership of Chief Chuck Synder, firefighters were instructed and deployed to fight the fire and to keep it from spreading. RBVFC fought the fire for about two hours, bringing the fire under control and keeping it from spreading further and damaging additional homes. During the engagement, three of the firefighters had to be medically taken from the scene. All three would later be treated and released.
As the town manager of Dewey Beach for the past five years, I've seen first-hand these brave men and women of RBVFC risk their lives for our community both day and night. They spend countless hours of their personal time training in different environments to ensure they can provide the best emergency response to the public.
This fire in the middle of a storm with gale-force winds could have been devastating for our Town of Dewey Beach. I want to say thank you to the brave men and women who serve in RBVFC from the citizens, business owners and visitors in Dewey Beach.
Please remember to donate to RBVFC yearly because the next home could be yours!
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