The day after a Canby Park blaze killed two firefighters, the Wilmington Fire Department suspended a controversial program in which a fire truck was taken out of service on a particular day to save on overtime costs.
Although no link was found, a fire engine nearest to the Sept. 24 deadly blaze had been placed out of service that day.
On Tuesday, citing $500,000 in overtime costs four months into the budget year, the department resumed the controversial practice called conditional company closures and idled a truck. This occurred nearly two months to the day that Capt. Christopher Leach and Lt. Jerry Fickes died when the first floor of that burning Canby Park rowhome collapsed, leaving them trapped.