Delaware mulch fire finally under control

It’s taken about two days, but a fire at a mulch facility that crippled operations at the nearby Port of Wilmington is now under control. 

The fire broke out Easter Sunday at 610 Christiana Avenue, a site occupied by Port Contractors. When firefighters arrived on scene, flames swelled from large piles of mulch and other debris, and continued to burn Monday. Strong wind gusts even carried the fire over to neighboring Wilmington Organic Recycling Center yesterday, the only large scale food waste composting facility on the east coast. First profiled the composting facility last month.

WORC spokesman Nelson Widell tells WHYY employees are safe, the facility is still operating and the fire, while continuing to smolder, is under control.

Despite the upgraded status, the City of Wilmington’s Emergency Management says the Wilmington Fire Department will remain on the scene for the next 24 hours, or as necessary.

Ship discharging operations at the Port of Wilmington, meantime, fully resumed this morning and Terminaltruck loading operations are back online, but traffic on Christiana Avenue remains limited with detours still in place, according to Diamond State Port Corporation spokeswoman Vered Nohi‐Becker.

Two firefighters were injured responding to the fires. Investigators are still looking into a cause.