Firefighters respond to fire at the port of Wilmington – First State Update

On Thursday, February 6, 2025, approximately 8:40 am, firefighters from Wilmington’s entrances reacted to a fire at the vehicle at the port of Wilmington. The incident included a large truck to lift containers, which was found with a high fire, which was displayed from the engine and operator areas.

The engine of the engine 2 was the first unit to arrive at the scene, evaluated the situation and immediately asked for additional support from another engine company to help with fire suppression efforts. Firefighters quickly attacked the flame and successfully demolished the flames, placing the fire under control within 15 minutes after their arrival.

The complication of the incident was a torn fuel line of the truck to lift the containers, which led to a spill of diesel fuel. As a result, the Natural Resources and Environmental Control of Delaware (DNREC) and the Has-Mat department of the Belvedere fire company were called to help mitigate the spill of fuel and prevent further environmental impact from water.

The Wilmington Fire Service staff remained in place for over 90 minutes, helping spill control and coordinate efforts with responding agencies. Port Management will engage a private cleaning contractor to remove the damaged vehicle and properly discard the spilled fuel.

During the incident, no injuries were reported according to the Chief of the Wilmington Fire Service Battalion Robert Price.