Photo courtesy of the Georgetown Fire Company.
MILFORD, DEL. - A fire broke out early Sunday morning at Lulu Ross Elementary School, causing extensive structural damage to classrooms, offices and the facility's library, according to district officials.
School closures and damage
What we know:
According to emergency officials, first responders were dispatched to the school at approximately 4:15 a.m. following an automatic fire alarm. Upon arrival, emergency crews found heavy fire concentrated in the north end of the Kent Hallway. It took firefighters approximately three hours to bring the blaze under control.
According to district officials, the flames spread through the Kent wing into the front lobby and administrative offices, resulting in substantial damage to the library and multiple classrooms across both the Kent and New Castle hallways.
No injuries were reported, and the building was unoccupied at the time of the incident, officials said Sunday.
Following the incident, district officials announced that all classes at Lulu Ross Elementary are canceled for the entire week, with no in-person or remote instruction taking place as assessments continue.
The blaze also forced the closure of neighboring Mispillion Elementary School, which sits on the same shared campus and lost all phone and internet service due to damaged fiber-optic infrastructure.
District officials announced Mispillion will be closed for all students and staff on Monday, Oct. 26, citing critical safety concerns while communications remain offline. There will be no in-person or remote learning for Mispillion students, while staff await administrative instructions. All other schools across the Milford School District will operate on normal schedules.
State service crews are expected to work through Sunday night and Monday to repair the fiber-optic lines and restore utilities to the campus, district officials said.
What they're saying:
The Milford School District crisis team reportedly convened Sunday morning to address immediate instructional plans and long-term facility needs for the school's staff and students.
State Sen. Dave Wilson, who represents the Milford area, addressed the community following the fire:
"This is a heartbreaking situation for the entire Milford community, but our primary relief is that no students, teachers or staff were inside when this occurred," Wilson said in a Facebook post.
"Lulu Ross is an essential anchor for our families," his post read. "We are in direct communication with local school leaders and emergency officials to ensure the district has every state resource necessary to support these students and safely restore instructional operations as soon as possible."
School administrators announced that additional guidance regarding instructional contingency plans will be released to staff and families as assessments continue.
What we don't know:
The Delaware State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the origin and cause of the fire, which are both unknown at this time.
The Source: Information sourced from the Milford School District, the Delaware State Fire Marshal's Office, local emergency dispatch reports, Sussex County public records and the office of State Sen. Dave Wilson.