Gov. John Carney terminated the limited State of Emergency in Kent County May 25 two days after enacting it because of a barge fire in the Delaware Bay.

“First responders fought the fires and successfully kept our community and our environment safe,” Carney said. “We are terminating the local State of Emergency put in place to support their response efforts. Thank you to all of the parties involved in this emergency, including our partners in the Fire Department of New York.”

The State of Delaware, on behalf of Kent County, had requested additional resources May 23 to support local emergency management agencies – including the Bowers Fire Company, Memorial Fire Co.. Coast Guard watchstanders, and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control – through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to combat the fire, which started about 1 a.m. May 23. A total of six fire boats fought the blaze that continued through dawn.

The DNREC Emergency Response Team is monitoring the Delaware Bay by air and patrol boat for environmental impacts caused by the fire, which discharged a plume of smoke, said Michael Globetti, DNREC spokesman. While smoke was visible from the beach, he said, air quality monitoring stations in the region showed low readings of particulate matter. Data is available to the public at Airnow.gov or Purpleair.com.

The barge was carrying household appliances and scrap metal when it caught on fire. The USCG and DNREC crews are looking for debris from the barge, and whether wildlife have been effected as a result of the fire. As of May 23, Globetti said, they had observed no debris in the water from the vessel and there have been no reports of impacted wildlife.

There were also no injuries reported and the fire remains under investigation.

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.