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N.J. firefighters face severe hoarding conditions in fatal house fire

Photos from the scene in Westampton showed piles of materials in the windows and doorway

By Nicolas Fernandes
nj.com

WESTAMPTON, N.J. — One person died in a fire Saturday in Burlington County that occurred at a home with severe hoarding conditions, officials said.

The blaze occurred at a home on East Pennington Drive in Westampton shortly after 6 p.m.


The dangers associated with hoarding conditions are the same whether you call it “heavy clutter,” “Collyer Mansion conditions” or “hoarder house”

Heavy fire conditions and severe hoarding inside the home made it difficult for crews to extinguish the fire and search for potential victims, Westampton Township Emergency Services said in a statement.

Photos from the fire, posted by area fire departments that assisted at the scene, show material piled high in the home’s windows and front door.

The fire caused the death of one occupant of the home, officials said. The person’s identity had not been made public as of Sunday evening. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

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