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www.FireEngineering.com FIRE ENGINEERING June 2015 | 67

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Structure Fires Involving Hoarders B Y B R I A N M U T Z A B A U G H

A LTHOUGH YOU MAY NOT THINK YOU

have them in your fire district,

hoarders can be anywhere.

More than likely, we all have hoarders

or hoarding situations in our districts. It

is merely a question of when, not if, you

will be called to mitigate some type of

emergency at one of these dwellings.

We should familiarize ourselves with

the locations and potential hazards of

hoarder dwellings to which

we might respond. Equally

important, we must look

at the amplified problems

that can exist at structure

fires involving hoarders and

examine ways to address

these problems early in the

incident.

Hoarding is generally

considered an excessive

accumulation of items kept

for future use. Although

sometimes a controlled

habit, it can also spiral into

an overwhelming urge to

justify keeping every item

encountered, regardless of

worth or usefulness. Hoard-

ers will keep anything from

inanimate objects such as

dolls, containers, newspapers, and cloth-

ing to common household trash. Many

times, food is also collected based on

either the rationale that it never goes bad

or “I might eat that one day.” Often, trash

and open food containers attract insects

and rodents, which breed diseases to

which the occupants are exposed.

Hoarders may also keep animals they

perceive as strays and rationalize this be-

havior as rescuing or saving the animals.

Although the hoarder may have rescued

an animal in some cases, this may

eventually lead to the hoarder “rescuing”

multiple animals that may end up being

neglected. In many cases, animal waste

will collect inside the residence because

the property owners cannot access areas

that need to be cleaned or are simply

oblivious to the mess. This is unsanitary

not only for the residents but also for us

as responders. As we come in contact

with the property and its residents, we

are exposed to whatever hazards are

associated with their living conditions.

Hoarding usually leads to unsanitary

living conditions since every available

space in a home becomes a storage

area. Often, hoarding is linked to people

who are suffering from different types of

disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive

disorder or severe depression. Other

times, it can only be explained as a way

of living. How it can affect emergency

responders is something definitely worth

investigating further. We not only have

to worry about operating in and around

such structures, but we need to consider

the emotional and psychological impact

on the homeowner, the responders, fam-

ily members, and even pets. Hoarders

generally become very upset when their

items are moved or damaged. Although

they may admit to having a problem that

impacts their daily lives, they are often

unwilling to seek help or let go. Even

when a fire or natural disaster damages

a hoarder’s possessions, that individual

may still have serious issues when part-

ing with them because of an emotional

attachment. In the hoarders’ minds, they

can easily come up with a reason they

should keep any item, even if it has been

ruined.

Described below is a response to a

structure fire at a hoarder’s residence

and its overall impact on mitigating the

incident. Think of the “what ifs,” since

this incident could have had a very

different ending except for the favorable

conditions. We must all

learn from the experiences

of others.

Fortunately, in this

incident, no lives were lost

and there were no on-scene

emergencies because of the

favorable conditions, the

well-trained and observant

suppression personnel,

and a strong command

presence. Awareness of the

hoarding situation early

in the incident allowed

responders to develop an

effective strategy that kept

firefighter safety at the

forefront while working to

save property and stabilize

the incident.

Hoarder Home Fire

On Monday, August 4, 2014, at ap-

proximately 1030 hours, units from Nash

and Halifax counties in North Carolina

were dispatched to a reported working

residential structure fire on South White

Street in Whitakers. Although a service

station attendant across the street on

the opposite corner made the initial call,

members of the Whitakers Volunteer Fire

Department (located on the back side of

the same block) had been investigating

the origin of smoke in the area.

Nash County Stations 10 (Whitakers),

9 (Battleboro), 18 (Salem), and Halifax

County Station 3 (Enfield) were dis-

patched on the initial alarm. Whitakers

and Battleboro have combination de-

partments with two part-time employees

working during the weekdays. Salem

(1) Street view of the A side of the dwelling. The low-hanging branches and overgrown vegetation prevented the first-arriving unit from conducting a windshield size-up, which emphasizes the importance of completing a 360° size- up every time, at every incident. In the foreground are two 1¾-inch hoselines (one attack, one backup) and the yellow electric cord that powered the positive- pressure ventilation fan. (Photos by Bob Bartosz.)

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Hoarder Dwelling Response

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and Enfield run all-volunteer fire departments. Whitakers

Engine 10 arrived on scene and reported a working fire in a

single-story residential structure and requested a supply line

from the closest hydrant as personnel deployed a 1¾-inch

attack line. Whitakers Truck 10 (a pumper/tanker) estab-

lished a five-inch supply line from a hydrant, and Battleboro

(2) A view along the D side shows several vehicles and a utility trailer blocking the driveway. A guard dog chained to the rear bumper of the trailer forced firefighters to advance a hoseline and move equipment through the row of bushes to the right. (3) A closer view of the D/C corner where personnel made the transitional attack into the fire room. Waist- high piles of debris in the carport area stopped the crew in an attempt to make the initial push into the dwelling. (4) At the C/D corner, an overwhelming amount of debris blocked the window and the door. These conditions could have prevented the occupants from escaping and could have hampered any rescue effort or emergency egress of firefighters.

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Engine 91 deployed a second 1¾-inch

backup line from Engine 10 to the

Division A side entrance point. As chief

(Whitakers Unit 10), I provided the initial

radio report and conditions, reporting

heavy, turbulent, grayish-brown smoke

from Division C and moderate, fast-mov-

ing, grayish-brown smoke exiting the

Division A gable vents. I established

incident command and assigned safety

and accountability officers, established

a medical group using Nash County

emergency medical units, and requested

an electrical troubleshooter from the

local utility. Enfield Ladder 3 arrived

and was staged for deployment if the

fire progressed to a defensive operation.

Because of numerous past law enforce-

ment responses to the residence (for

complaints concerning yard clutter, dogs

barking, and reported drug activity), the

on-scene local police chief had the res-

idents’ contact information. I requested

that the police chief make contact; he

was able to confirm with the occupants

by phone that no one else was supposed

to be inside the structure. The residents

were informed of the situation and asked

to return to the scene.

I noted during the 360° size-up that

the entire Division A, C, and D exteriors

were cluttered with numerous items,

including passenger vehicles, machin-

ery, trailers, equipment, and general

debris. Fire was also found pushing out

the Division C window and door into

the carport area. To further complicate

matters, the carport area was stacked

waist-high with various types of equip-

ment, machinery, and appliances block-

ing access/egress from this side. Sever-

al dogs were also found chained up in

various locations around the residence.

This initially posed a safety concern

since some of the dogs appeared to dis-

play a guarding posture by barking and

growling at responding personnel. After

personnel spoke with the neighbors, the

dogs were determined not to be a threat

and were safely moved away from the

structure. Even though several dogs

outside of the residence were saved,

three dogs inside perished. These ani-

mals were recovered and turned over to

the property owner at the conclusion of

the incident. This proved emotionally

traumatic for the occupants, who were

obviously attached to all the animals at

the residence.

The fire attack group initially reported

that the A side door could not be fully

opened because of large amounts of de-

bris and clutter inside the residence. The

fire attack group made a transitional at-

tack at the Division C/D corner, allowing

personnel to effectively extinguish the

bulk of the fire and stop extension into

the attic area. Additional personnel had

positioned a positive-pressure ventilation

fan at the Division A entrance point to

support the transition to an interior fire

attack. As smoke conditions improved, I

was able to look through several exterior

windows and noted large piles of debris

throughout the structure. Suppression

personnel reassembled at the Division A

entrance and employed a positive-pres-

sure attack to complete extinguishment,

conduct a search, and begin overhaul.

As smoke conditions lifted, personnel

discerned a visible pathway leading from

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the front door through piles

of various items to the rear

hall at the kitchen (Division

C/D corner). Fire attack per-

sonnel had to find their way

through this maze of debris

to reach the room of origin

at the rear of the structure

and complete extinguish-

ment. Additionally, interior

doorways were blocked

to the point that suppres-

sion personnel in personal

protective equipment (PPE)

and self-contained breath-

ing apparatus (SCBA) had to

use force to squeeze through

them. This was necessary

to check for extension into

other rooms and to conduct

a search.

When the property owner arrived on

scene, I was notified that there were

several dogs inside the residence. It was

soon apparent that these animals had

been inside for quite some time. Sup-

pression personnel later found they had

crawled through large amounts of fecal

matter and puddles of urine the dogs had

left inside the residence when the fire

started. This posed another issue, since

the turnout gear of personnel conduct-

ing fire attack and search had to be

removed from service and

decontaminated. In many

departments nationwide,

loaner gear is not available

for members whose gear

has to be sent off for profes-

sional cleaning. Hence, you

may have to temporarily

take a number of qualified

interior firefighters out of

service because their PPE

is out of service. If your

department is like many

others around the nation,

this is not something you

can afford to do. We rely on

our members to be ready all

the time, and they depend

on us to provide them with

the equipment needed to do

the job.

Once the structure was deemed

safe for entry without SCBA, personnel

found charring and high-heat indicators

approximately three-quarters of the way

down the walls in the living room, just

inside the Division A entry door. Much

(5) A view through the A side door shows the piles of debris throughout the room. Communicating these conditions immediately to Command resulted in a change of strategy to an aggressive defensive attack from the D/C corner. Next, a ventilation fan was placed in service at the A side entrance prior to personnel moving back into the structure for extinguishment. The refrigerator to the left was partially behind the door and had to be knocked over to gain entry.

5

1506FE_70 70 5/27/15 9:26 AM

Hoarder Dwelling Response

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of the contents in the living

room near the floor level

had indications of high-heat

exposure, indicating that

the room nearly reached

flashover. If the attack had

not turned to a transition-

al attack and crews had

pushed into the structure,

they may have become dis-

oriented when the flashover

occurred. Additionally, fire

department personnel who

forced their way into other

rooms to conduct a search

or look for extension would

be slowed dramatically

if they had to execute an

emergency egress.

Remember that in hoarder

homes, often the windows

may not be visible from

the interior and may be hard to access

because of the piles of debris. Interior

personnel should take extra precautions

to remain oriented in these types of

structures.

Also keep in mind that rooms with

inward-swinging doors blocked by debris

will generally be easier to enter than to

exit. When entering, firefighters have

the advantage of using their entire body

weight to push on the door,

forcing the debris out of the

way. But as they try to exit

from the room through the

same door, they could be

limited to using only upper

body strength to pull the

door open.

They may also find that

debris shifting behind

the door on entry places a

larger load when exiting.

If you can only partially

open the door, remember

that you may have to use

a reduced profile maneu-

ver to make yourself as

small as possible. You can

accomplish this in several

ways, including placing

your SCBA on the side of

your body or removing and

pushing the SCBA ahead of you through

the diminished clearance opening.

Personnel on the exterior should ensure

that all other doorways and windows

are clear on the outside, giving interior

(6) At the A side door, notice the pathway to the rear of the dwelling that

firefighters had to navigate. Imagine doing this without effective ventilation and

the risk of debris piles collapsing on personnel as they attempted to make their

way through. This is also where interior crews unknowingly crawled through

feces left by the numerous dogs on and inside the property. These conditions

were found in all interior rooms. Note that behind the door along the right wall

there is debris piled up to the ceiling.

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crews a clear exit path.

There is no doubt that the time of this

incident (daytime) proved advantageous

to a safe, successful operation. If this

incident had occurred at night with

little to no visibility, suppression per-

sonnel would have stood a much higher

chance of injury just maneuvering

around the exterior. A limited visibility

incident coupled with the hoarding

would have adversely affected the

personal safety for all responders and

potentially increased property loss.

Having confirmed early on that

all occ upa nt s were accou nte d for

el i m i nate d the need for an immediate

interior victim search. Yet, had fire-

fighters initiated an immediate victim

search, it certainly would have placed

response personnel at a greater risk of

disorientation or entanglement because

of the unusually large amount of debris

and clutter inside the home.

Knocking down the fire from the

exterior, or “softening the target,” and

following with a positive-pressure at-

tack allowed us to save approximately

60 percent of the structure. Had the fire

had a more central location inside the

structure, extension into other rooms

or the attic could have been more

prevalent, which would have resulted

in a larger loss of property or a fatality

if suppression personnel were unable

to access a victim. Although it took

nearly 45 minutes for the fire to be fully

extinguished and brought under con-

trol, the transitional attack slowed the

fire’s growth, keeping it in the room of

origin, and allowed response personnel

to remain on strategy throughout the

incident.

Fire service personnel should prepare

for hoarding scenarios with as much

proactive preplanning as possible.

Remember, a working fire inside a

hoarding structure is comparable to

fighting a fire inside a junkyard that is

contained within a building.

Emergency services personnel need to

remember that customers cherish every

object they possess, regardless of how

others may evaluate it. The inability to

let go of items or deem them as garbage

leads to hoarding. Hoarders expect and

deserve that we give as much consider-

ation and care to their belongings as to

those of other citizens we serve. Howev-

er, we must always remember that while

contents and property are important,

they never outweigh the safety of re-

sponders. We should never risk the injury

or death of a firefighter to save property

or contents alone.

Although we may initially think we

have arrived at a simple room-and-con-

tents fire in a residential dwelling, the

problems associated with hoarding can

trigger many unexpected problems. We

must keep in mind the larger-than-or-

dinary fuel loads present in hoarding

situations and the increased fire growth

rate. Increased floor weight, high-piled/

unstable storage, higher heat release

rates, and the increase of toxic and

flammable gases are just a few other

concerns to keep in mind when dealing

with these types of incidents. These

types of structures quickly become

unorganized and difficult to navigate

because of the limited amount of stor-

1506FE_72 72 5/27/15 9:26 AM

Hoarder Dwelling Response

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age space and numerous items hoarded.

Exterior conditions may not provide

adequate clues to inside conditions,

leaving firefighters to believe the struc-

ture’s layout and contents are “average”

or “normal.” There is nothing normal

or routine when response personnel

are operating around and inside these

types of structures and attempting to

weave through the entangling debris

around them. The chances for injury

to suppression personnel are greatly

increased if extra caution is not used.

Make every attempt during the 360°

size-up to identify signs of hoarding,

such as the amount of debris outside the

structure, as was encountered on this

incident. Since we had never responded

to this address, the interior conditions

were a surprise. Take a brief look through

exterior windows to determine whether

what’s inside is well worth the time and

effort. Signs of hoarding on the exterior

should prepare you for conditions to be

far worse on the inside.

Responding to incidents involving

hoarders at night or in extremely low-

light conditions should prompt incident

commanders to deploy adequate scene

lighting as early as possible. Although

this may initially delay deployment of

fire streams into or on the structure, it

will provide a safer working environment

around the structure.

If animals are present, notify all

responding personnel, and exercise ex-

treme caution. You may have to request

local animal control to assist in remov-

ing and securing animals at the inci-

dent. Have the homeowner locate and

secure all pets since the animals will be

less likely to become aggressive toward

their owner.

Afterward, we must take care of

our personnel and equipment prior to

leaving the scene if at all possible. Re-

member, we have basically responded

to a structure fire involving hazardous

materials. In addition to the types of

items kept in these structures and the

possibility of varying types of stored

chemicals, there is the possibility of en-

countering animal or human waste. At

a minimum, all personnel who entered

the structure should receive a quick

washdown of their PPE with a brush,

soap, and water while on scene.

After returning to the station, the

PPE and equipment should be disin-

fected following the manufacturer’s

guidelines. This may include having

turnout gear sent out for professional

cleaning and sanitizing.

Fire service leadership should also

complete any necessary paperwork

documenting the exposure of personnel

to all known materials, chemicals, or

fluids. If volunteers or call-back per-

sonnel responded by personally owned

vehicles, do not allow these members to

place the PPE in their vehicles or return

home prior to decontaminating the PPE.

Calling in a haz-mat or decontamina-

tion company from your department or

a nearby agency is beneficial here. Such

units are often well equipped to handle

the decontamination of suppression

personnel and equipment as well as

assist with mitigating the incident.

Your agency may not regularly handle

emergency incidents involving hoarders

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or may not have ever responded to one.

That is all the more reason to review

the hazards associated with hoarding

with your department’s personnel.

Sit down and collectively determine

if there are known hoarders in your

district and then develop a plan as to

how you would address an emergency

at these locations. If you don’t have

the resources you need within your

department, talk with your automatic

and mutual-aid companies and identify

what resources are available that may

be beneficial for such events.

Remember, the residents of these

properties deserve the same level of

care and compassion as anyone else.

However, because of the overwhelming

number of items they have, you may

have to give special consideration to

salvage operations.

Don’t commit suppression personnel

to the interior of a hoarder’s residence

without taking the extra precautions

to ensure their safety. Attack from the

exterior initially, ventilate prior to entry,

use all available sources of lighting

both inside and outside of the structure,

and decontaminate your people and

equipment afterward. Also, prepare for

firefighters to become frustrated with

the large amounts of debris hampering

their efforts. Be patient with the lack of

progress, since moving slowly will limit

injuries in working around and into the

structure.

Focus on the overall outcome that all

of our personnel safely complete the task

assigned them every day. As leaders, we

must always strive to deliver our person-

nel back to their families the same way

they left for the start of their shift. We

owe it to our members and ourselves to

put our members’ safety at the forefront

in each decision we make.

BRIAN MUTZABAUGH is a 19-year veteran

of the fire service and, since 2011, chief of the

Whitakers (NC) Volunteer Fire Department.

He is also an engineer with the Rocky Mount

Fire Department, assigned to Rescue 2. He is

a qualified level 2 instructor with the North

Carolina Department of Insurance, Office of

the State Fire Marshal and is a fire service

instructor for Nash Community College.

1506FE_74 74 5/27/15 9:26 AM

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