Clutter at a Minneapolis (MN) home made things difficult for firefighters on Sunday morning.
The elderly female resident escaped the fire, KMSP reported (http://bit.ly/15I1x0T), but conditions in the home created a dangerous obstacle course for firefighters.
Newspapers and boxes blocked doorways, and gun ammunition was stored in the basement of the residence.
A neighbor assisted the 73-year-old victim, who managed to exit on her own.
Investigators believe the fire started in the basement, but firefighters had a tough time getting inside because of the clutter blocking the front door and some stairways inside.
For additional details and videon on the fire, visit http://bit.ly/15I1x0T.
Cluttered homes are sometimes referred to as “Collyer’s Mansions” in the fire service, a reference to a fire at the infamous residence of the Collyer brothers in New York City. For more on the potential dangerous of clutter inside homes, consider First-Due Battalion Chief: Collyer’s Mansions, Hoarding : A Fire Prevention and Response Concern, and Firefighters Injured at IL “Hoarder Home” Fire.
