By Mara H. Gottfried
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A “mayday” call was briefly issued for a St. Paul firefighter who fell in a “hoarding house” while fighting a fire this afternoon, the department said.
The signal is used for a firefighter in trouble, but it was quickly cancelled when it was discovered the man was fine, said Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard.
Firefighters were called to the 1000 block of Avon Street about 2:30 p.m.
The fire was in the basement of a single-family home that appears to have hoarded belongings, Zaccard said. The firefighter “fell off a pile of stuff in the basement,” he said.
The fire was quickly put out, Zaccard said.
The fire department is asking people to get help for friends or family who are hoarders. In hoarding situations, a fire can spread fast, sometimes the exits are blocked, and it’s difficult for firefighters to search for victims and to fight the fire, Zaccard said.
“The county has social services that can help hoarders,” Zaccard said. “It’s a disorder. The person usually can’t correct it themselves,” so it’s important for people who know them to get them help.
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