Fire marshal: Juvenile playing with lighter sets Lincoln home on fire

A juvenile playing with a lighter set a Lincoln home on fire April 30, officials say, causing $200,000 in damage.

Ellendale firefighters responded about 7:30 a.m. to a home in the 10000 block of Ryans Run and found heavy flames coming from a single-family home, said Michael Pfaffenhauser, a deputy with the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The house was equipped with smoke detectors, there were no reported injuries, and all occupants were able to escape safely, he said. 

Upon investigation, Pfaffenhauser said fire marshals determined the fire started in a bedroom when a juvenile was “playing with a lighter and igniting available combustibles.”

Damage to the home is estimated at $200,000, he said.

The juvenile has been referred to the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Program as a result, Pfaffenhauser said.