By Craig Anderson

DOVER — Once the April 14 blaze at Dover Country Club apartments ignited, the danger to all inside the building increased rapidly.

Firefighters arrived at the scene within five minutes of dispatch but couldn’t save the building. All 12 apartments and the structure itself were condemned due to damage.

Three units were affected by fire, two by water and smoke, and seven by smoke only, Dover Fire Marshal Jason Osika said.

Forty people living in those units were thus displaced. No injuries were reported, but the fire marshal estimates damage in the $200,000 range.

An investigation determined that the accidental fire originated in a first-floor kitchen due to unattended cooking.

Dover Fire Department Chief David Carey described the fire as “fast-moving” and said that any time is precious when it comes to extinguishing a blaze of similar intensity.

“A fire doubles in size every 30 seconds,” he said.

Fire Marshal Osika said a fire sprinkler system in the apartment “most definitely would have held the fire to the kitchen area.”

As the city of Dover considers adopting an updated building code, Fire Marshal Osika expects a discussion of sprinkler systems to arise. “They are always a huge topic, so I think everyone has an opinion on that,” he said.

Ultimately, if he wrote up a sprinkler proposal, it would be forwarded to Dover City Council for consideration. An opportunity for public input would be provided before any official decision, allowing property owners to come forward and weigh in.

“I think it would be a tough sell, but it’s something we should look at,” Mr. Osika said.

Attempts seeking comment from multiple apartment complex managers in Dover last week were unsuccessful.

However, according to Fire Marshal Osika, there have been at least six large apartment fires in the past six years — two in 2021 (Dover Country Club and Woodcrest Apartment Homes) and one each in 2020 (Baytree Apartment Homes), 2018 (English Village Condominiums), 2017 (Towne Point) and 2016 (Greens at Cedar Chase).

A four-unit Woodcrest building was condemned in February after a fire there.

The accidental blaze at Baytree was caused by discarded smoking materials and left a 24-unit building condemned.

One unit was condemned at English Village, while 11 were rendered uninhabitable after an accidental cooking fire at Towne Point. Another 12 units were condemned at Cedar Chase.

Currently in the city, any new apartment building is required to have sprinklers. If 50% renovations are done to an existing building, the equipment also must be put in place.

“Sprinklers are in place for life safety. They suppress the fire to allow the people within the building to exit during a fire-related incident,” Fire Marshal Osika said.

According to Delaware Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael Chionchio, “The best fire-protection measure is a fully sprinklered residential apartment building.

“Having residential fire sprinklers is the highest level of fire protection. It’s like having the fire department on-site 24/7.”

When it comes to sparking a flame, Fire Marshal Chionchio said, “Cooking fires seem to be the most common cause of fire inside apartment buildings. People become distracted while cooking and walk away.

“The next thing you know there’s a fire on the stove.”

Simply put, Chief Carey said, the presence of fire sprinklers “help reduce fire damage and control its spread quicker.”

Dover Mayor Robin R. Christiansen, who joined the city’s volunteer fire department in 1973 and served as first assistant chief, described himself as a “huge fan of fire sprinkler systems. They save lives of both civilians and first responders.”

Also, the mayor said, revisiting codes and ordinances is “certainly something for us to take a look at.”

The stakes are high when it comes to enhancing safety measures at apartment complexes, Mayor Christiansen said.

“It’s certainly devastating to see people in these multi-occupancy buildings lose everything,” he said. “They’re suddenly looking for a place to stay and to replace property lost. I’ve seen so many people lose memories of their families. There’s no way to replace that photo album.”