KFC/Taco Bell in Wilmington being rebuilt after fire, expected to open early next year

Brandon Holveck | Delaware News Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Wilmington crews respond to KFC fire Wilmington firefighters responded to a fire Thursday morning at a fast food restaurant on Lancaster Ave. Video provided by John J. Jankowski Jr. 1/10/19

The KFC/Taco Bell on Lancaster Avenue in Wilmington is being rebuilt about a year after it caught fire.

The fast food restaurant is expected to open in the first quarter of 2020, according to company spokeswoman Lori Eberenz.

The company demolished the remains of the building after the January fire. Construction crews recently broke ground at the site at Lancaster Avenue and North Union Street. All that remains of the original restaurant is the KFC/Taco Bell sign.

PREVIOUS REPORTING: Firefighter injured after KFC/Taco Bell in Wilmington catches fire

An employee called 911 around 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 10 to report a fire. By the time the first firefighters arrived, heavy smoke was coming out of the building, according to Battalion Chief John Looney.

Flames were seen coming out of the roof of the building as a second alarm went out for backup.

Crews fought the fire from the outside using ladder trucks and high-pressure water hoses after deteriorating conditions inside the building forced firefighters out.

By about 11 a.m., the fire was under control. One firefighter was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment, Looney said.

The fire left downtown Wilmington without its only KFC and Taco Bell locations. Currently, the closest KFCs are on U.S. 40 in New Castle and on Naamans Road in Claymont. The nearest Taco Bells are on Kirkwood Highway in Prices Corner and on Concord Pike in Talleyville.

Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com or at (302) 324-2267. Follow on Twitter @holveck_brandon.