Wilmington is mourning the loss of two of its firefighters.
41-year-old Lieutenant Christopher Leach and 51-year-old Senior Firefighter Jerry Fickes were killed early Saturday morning fighting a blaze in the city’s Canby Park neighborhood.
They died after a floor collapsed in the rowhouse where they were battling the fire.
Leach, a 14-year veteran of the Wilmington Fire Department, and Fickes, a 13 year veteran, are the first city fire fighters killed in the line of duty in 18 years.
Two other firefighters were injured in the floor collapse and are in critical but stable condition.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The State Fire Marshal’s office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating.
