Clutter can be an Insurance Liability

Bucks County Courier Times (Levittown, PA)
April 2, 2010
Section: LOCAL - Page: 9
Columns of clutter hamper firefighters' effort
PLUMSTEAD The home on Split Log drive was gutted in the afternoon blaze. One firefighter was slightly injured.
By BILL DEVLIN - STAFF WRITER
Smoke and flames weren't the only things that Plumsteadville Fire Co. crews had to battle Thursday afternoon in fighting a fire that gutted a Plumstead home.
Fire Chief Brian DuBree said firefighters had to contend with clutter that "filled rooms from floor to ceiling" in the two-story Colonial on Split Log Drive.
"It is a very nice house from the outside, but the homeowner was a hoarder and the amount of stuff inside the house made it difficult for my firefighters," said DuBree.
He pointed to a large pile of clothing and boxes on the front lawn of the home.
"That's just 1/16th of what we found in each room of the house," said the chief.
DuBree said the fire started shortly after 2:30 p.m. in a bedroom on the second floor. The homeowner and her dog were out of the home when firefighters arrived.
He said that crews tried to enter the house through the front door but couldn't get it to open because of the number of items piled behind it.
"We actually had to remove the door," said DuBree.
Because of the clutter, firefighters could not get around and DuBree ordered them out of the structure.
"It became a safety issue for my crews," he said.
One Plumsteadville firefighter was cut by flying glass. DuBree said he was treated for a head wound at the scene and went back to battle the blaze.
The chief called in neighboring companies to help fight the fire from the outside.
Asked if he had encountered a problem with hoarding before, DuBree said "nothing this bad."
"It didn't allow us do our job," said the chief.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Bucks County Fire Marshal's Office.
Among the companies that assisted Plumsteadville were Hilltown, Point Pleasant, Midway, Doylestown, Dublin and Chalfont. ........