I’ll let the Delaware Online story speak for itself, because I don’t know what else to say. This is just so sad all the way around. I know I speak for the entire Delaware Liberal community when I say our condolences, thoughts, and prayers are with the families of Lt. Christopher Leach and Senior Firefighter Jerry Fickes, as our collective hope and encouragement for continued strength and recovery is with Ardythe Hope and Brad Speakman.
A 27-year-old woman who lived at the Canby Park rowhome that went up in flames Saturday morning, killing two Wilmington firefighters, told police she was drunk and on anxiety medication when she became angry and set fire to the basement of the home, according to court documents obtained by The News Journal.
Beatriz Fana-Ruiz is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree arson, four counts of second-degree assault in the injuries of other firefighters involved and seven counts of reckless endangerment, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
A first-degree murder charge was applicable for Fana-Ruiz due to Delaware law that protects first responders who lose their lives while serving due to the “reckless behavior” of an individual.
The law originally only covered on-duty police officers, corrections employees and firefighters but was extended in 2009 to cover paramedics, EMTs, fire marshals and fire police officers after the death of Michelle Smith, a Delaware City firefighter who was sideswiped by a passing car and killed along U.S. 13.
Fana-Ruiz is the stepdaughter of Missy Napier, who lived in the home with her five children, according to state officials.
The fire ravaged the rowhome and left three firefighters trapped in the basement of the house when the first floor collapsed. Lt. Christopher Leach and Senior Firefighter Jerry Fickes did not survive.
Senior Firefighter Ardythe Hope and Brad Speakman remain hospitalized at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Pennsylvania. Hope remains in critical but stable condition and Speakman has been upgraded to stable condition. A photo of him posted Wednesday shows him standing in the hospital smiling with bandages on his hands, legs and head.
Three other firefighters also sustained injuries in the fire and were treated and released shortly after the blaze.
A total of seven people were inside the home when the fire broke out, according to court documents. It’s unclear what caused Fana-Ruiz to become angry, as she first told investigators she couldn’t remember anything after she went down into the basement, according to court documents.
In a later interview, she admitted to becoming angry and going downstairs to set the blaze. Investigators determined she ignited flammable or combustible material with an open flame, causing about $200,000 in damages to the home, according to court documents. Eight people were living there at the time of the fire.
Fana-Ruiz was arraigned and is being held on $3 million cash bail.
Up until now, investigators released no information about the cause of the deadly blaze. The Wilmington Fire Department turned over the investigation to the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives because of the loss of two of its members.
Services for Leach and Fickes will begin Thursday night with a viewing for Fickes at Grace Lutheran Church along Graves Road in Hockessin. The viewing will last from 5 to 8 p.m. A second viewing is scheduled for Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. for family, friends and members of the Wilmington Fire Department. A funeral service will follow; burial is private.