The fire erupted around 8:45 Monday night at the Village of Canterbury housing complex on the 5600 block of Byron Court.
The victim was found in a 3rd floor unit, where firefighters believe the inferno began.
Firefighters were hampered because of a gas line that ruptured and ignited. The heat from the impact caused an air conditioner to explode.
12 units were destroyed leaving more than two dozen people homeless.
Among them are the Rembert twins.
"We came outside and we saw this apartment in flames, so we went through the back and we came around the whole complex and everybody was outside," said Krstine Rambert.
"We grabbed as much as we could. We grabbed our computers, our purses, our wallets and we just went out the back door as quickly as possible. We didn't know how bad it was until we walked behind and saw it engulfed in flames. This third floor apartment was gone by the time we got out," said Krystal Rambert.
Another resident, Adam Stolz, only managed to save his pet dog.
"I heard a lot of commotion outside and I thought nothing of it at first. Then I looked out my bedroom window and saw things on fire falling from the roof, so I grabbed my dog and got out," Stolz said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Damage is estimated at one million dollars.
Apartment residents in Delaware are required by law to have renter's insurance.
