A three-alarm fire tore through Lulu M. Ross Elementary School in Milford, Delaware, before dawn Sunday, gutting the library, front offices and several classrooms and forcing the district to cancel classes for the entire week. No one was inside the building when the flames broke out, and no injuries were reported. The 614 students who attend the school now face an uncertain stretch with no in-person or remote instruction scheduled through Oct. 30.
First responders were notified at approximately 4:15 a.m. Sunday, according to milfordlive.com, though a separate account from State of Delaware News described the blaze as starting shortly after 4 a.m. The fire quickly escalated to three alarms, and crews needed around three hours to bring it under control, per Delaware Public Media.
Flames Spread From the Kent Wing Through the Roof
The fire originated in the school's Kent wing, as reported by NBC Philadelphia, before spreading through much of the building. Delaware Public Media's report notes the blaze caused significant damage to a large portion of the main lobby, library, front offices and several classrooms. Flames eventually broke through the roof of the school, according to delawareonline.com.
Firefighters initially tried to knock the fire down from inside the building but were forced to retreat as conditions worsened, per coasttv.com's account. Crews battled the blaze from a more defensive position after that, and the station reported that no injuries occurred and no one was inside when the fire began. CBS News, which first reported on the closure citing a district Facebook post, said the fire was reported at approximately 4:15 a.m. Sunday and that Milford School District leaders are now working with state agencies to gather resources for staff and families.
No School for Lulu Ross Students Through Friday
Lulu Ross Elementary students will have no in-person or remote learning from Monday through Friday, Oct. 26-30, the district said, according to Delaware Public Media's reporting. Every other school in the Milford School District will operate on its normal schedule that same week, the outlet noted. The district has also asked the public to stay away from the campus while crews continue assessing the damage and investigating the fire's cause, per the CBS News report.
Just how badly the building was structurally damaged, and how long repairs might take, still has not been determined, milfordlive.com reported. No damage estimate was available as of Sunday, according to the same Delaware Public Media article. The district's crisis team plans to meet regularly throughout the week to work through short- and long-term plans and will provide ongoing updates, coasttv.com reported.
Cause Still Under Investigation
Investigators with the Office of the Delaware State Fire Marshal are continuing to look into what sparked the fire, according to State of Delaware News. As of Sunday, investigators said they had found no evidence of criminal activity, per coasttv.com's reporting. The cause otherwise remains unresolved.
The fire has rattled a wider circle of educators connected to the school. The Cape Gazette reported that Cape Henlopen Superintendent Jenny Nauman attended Lulu Ross as a child and spent her entire teaching career there before moving into district leadership elsewhere in Delaware. For now, families and staff are left waiting on the Milford School District to share more details about what comes next.
