By Mike Finney

DOVER — Multiple fire companies responded to a two-alarm blaze in the Rodney Village Shopping Center on Wednesday.

Facing high temperatures, firefighters from Camden-Wyoming, Dover and Marydel received an alarm at 8:44 p.m. and scrambled to the strip mall’s Rent-A-Center at 1688 S. Governors Ave., said Camden-Wyoming Fire Co. Assistant Chief Phil Lewis.

“The fire damage was contained to the Rent-A-Center,” he said. “Some other stores had a little residual smoke (and water damage) but no fire damage. All the fire damage was contained to the Rent-A-Center.

“I turned (the investigation) over to the State Fire Marshal. There were no injuries on our side or civilian. Everybody was able to make it home. I think it took about 50 minutes actually to get the entire situation under control. Other than that, it was pretty straightforward.”

The fire, which the Office of the State Fire Marshal concluded was “accidental in nature,” was brought under control by 10 p.m.

Deputy state fire marshals investigated the cause. They determined that it originated above a storage closet, in the ceiling of the Rent-A-Center store. The cause was determined to be an electrical failure in the fixed-branch circuitry.

Assistant Chief Lewis said the heat did take its toll, which prompted him to transmit a second alarm.

“We were loaded for the fire in the Rent-A-Center,” he said. “When I arrived on scene, there was smoke showing from the front door. Once crews got on scene on the back side, they also had smoke over there.

“Crews were beginning to extinguish the fire, and with the heat and the high demand for additional manpower, we transmitted a second alarm, bringing other companies to the scene to assist us with the fire.”

The second alarm brought firefighters from Little Creek, Harrington, Hartly and Marydel, as well as Kent County paramedics.

The amount of damage caused was estimated at $50,000, the fire marshal said.

The Rodney Village Shopping Center, at the corner of South Governors Avenue and South Dupont Highway in south Dover, has become a landmark. It has 23 stores and encompasses 211,298 square feet. It opened in 1959 and was last renovated in 1975.