Welcome back to the chamber of hoarders. Starting today, the chamber would like to share with you some of the stories that keep coming in of fighting fires inside hoarded conditions. From the west coast to Canada, folks keep reaching out to share in their challenges and successes. We can learn from listening to different accounts of tactics, situations, and conditions. Let’s take a quick look at one story that came in from the southeastern United States.
This fire happened at 0500 in a single story, older construction, single family dwelling. Upon arrival the first due crews met with a well-involved kitchen fire. Crews described the conditions inside at a waist and head level of belongings except in the kitchen area.
Inside the home they found pathways about a foot wide making access to the fire area difficult. The crews were able to advance on the fire and contain it to the room of origin, the kitchen. After the initial knockdown the overhaul process was extensive. They described a 2-hour work period with problems extinguishing the piles of smoldering debris. During the overhaul process, they encountered a common problem in hoarder homes, FILTH. This particular filth was in the form of a bathtub full of brown stagnant water filled with maggots. Often inside hoarder conditions, they are no longer able to clean due to the amounts of belongings blocking access.
Combination Department:
- On duty Staffing: 5
- Call back staffing: 2
- Volunteer Staffing: 3
Lessons Learned:
This story is a common one that we hear a lot. Challenges faced inside a Hoarded Home can place an increased risk to interior firefighters. Some key points that led to a successful outcome in this case was the first arriving crews made a quick knockdown of the fire. Containing the fire to the room of origin is an important factor in all fires, especially in hoarder conditions. Everyone needs to keep a clock in their head to asses the firefight progress, if you not getting a knockdown it’s time to get out!
Key Points Learned:
- Going around the piles often is the best choice
- Quick water application on the room of origin will increase the success rate
- Call for extra firefighters early due to the increased workload of overhaul
- Make sure to relay that you have “hoarder” conditions to everyone.
The chamber staff would like to say thank you for sharing this Hoarder Chronicle with the world. Your experience will lead to safer hoarder responses for all..
If you would like to share a Hoarder Story please send it to [email protected]
It occurred on a warm summer night last year. Tones dropped to respond to a mutual aid town for a ‘special assignment’. The town we were responding town is generally an affluent community in Southern New Jersey, with above average household income. Initial communications on the incident were limited, as the OEM and others running the incident didn’t want the local (Philadelphia) news stations getting involved. Through the grapevine we did find out it was a hoarder situation, but nothing could prepare me for what I was about to expirience. We pull up to the scene and are briefed, and before the brief is through I can smell a very strong Oder of decay coming from the house which was 50+ feet away. We are told “there is a 50′s year old woman on the bottom floor of a split level SFD, she is morbidly obese, has been on the couch in the basement for the past 4 years. The house has had been condemned by the health department, and this woman needed to vacate. Grab an SCBA, double gloves and be ready for orders.” … As I approached the house, I quickly realized to purpose of the SCBA. I make entry through the from door into the family room. Trashed is piled to the ceiling, and it was obvious there was a lot of effort given by the first crew just to gain access to the stairs leading down to where this woman was holding up. I make my way to the kitchen, as I scanned with my flashlight I quickly realized this was going to be far worse than anything on any tv show, this was a nightmare unravalling before my eyes.
We make our was down the stairs to find the woman, completely embarrassed and ashamed of the situation, and a sight that will haunt me for a long time. This woman literally hadn’t moved from this couch in 4 years. She was completely surrounded with soda bottle filled with urine, feces covered paper towells, empty meds bottles, food trash,… Etc… We had to clear an area for the EMTs to package her up on a reeves and bring her up the stairs. Well my partner and I begin to dig in, we start heaving trash all over the place. After about 10 minutes we finally create a solid working area for our feet, and I noticed that the trash had been there ao long, there was a 6 inch layer of compost on the bottom. The whole time, trying to comfort this woman keeping her calm, and letting her know we were there to help… Then it happened. My partner grabs the wrong bag and heaves it far in the back corner, and the woman says, “those were my meds!!!” well needless to say, she had her meds upon exiting the dwelling. After 20 minutes of work, our vibalerts activated, and the EMT’s felt they had sufficient space to do their thing.
The only power to the whole house was an extension cord weaved somehow through the debris. There was obviously no AC, and the only heat was an office space heat fan connected to the extension cord, along with a lamp with no shade and a small tv. The daughter also lived on the premises. But, not in the house, she lived in the car in the driveway with a similar setup for heat. Thinking back on the incident, I still can’t believe what I saw, and to think that if this place had ever caught fire, it had a fire load that couldve burned for 2 days. I’m glad it ended well and it was addressed before I or a fellow fire fighter had to take the risk of entering that building with a hose line.
Thanks for sharing Bill,
Your story is spot on with the accounts that keep coming in. Squalid or squalor add on with hoarding go hand in hand. Hoarding in it’s self can lead to filthy conditions due to the lack of cleaning. I feel that the most exposed emergency responder is the EMS crews. The usually don’t have access to a SCBA or turnout gear. I will be addressing this issue in the near future hear on chamber of Hoarders. Thanks again for sharing and with you permission I will repost your story with some chamber suggestions.
Stay Safe
Ryan
Feel free to make any spell check corrections. I typed it on my iPhone in size 2 font. You have permission to use the story.