By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Fire crews responding to a Jan. 21 house fire in Reading, Massachusetts, encountered severe hoarding conditions that made interior firefighting operations unsafe.
• Firefighters were forced to withdraw from the structure due to cluttered hallways and rooms that impeded hose line advancement.
• A 65-year-old resident and a firefighter were injured and taken to hospitals; two occupants were displaced.
• The blaze escalated to multiple alarms as crews battled fire that extended through the first floor and attic.
• The cause of the fire remains under investigation by local authorities.
READING, MA — Firefighters responding to a residential fire in Reading on Jan. 21 were forced to abandon interior attack efforts after encountering significant hoarding conditions that blocked access and created unsafe operating environments inside the home.
Crews from multiple departments were dispatched shortly after 5:30 p.m. to a home on James Road reporting flames and heavy smoke. Upon entering, firefighters found hallways and rooms cluttered with personal belongings that impeded hose line advancement and safe navigation, Reading Fire Chief Rick Nelson said.
The fire, which extended through the first floor and into the attic, prompted a third alarm as departments shifted to exterior and defensive operations due to the hazardous interior conditions.
A 65-year-old resident suffered burn injuries and was transported to a hospital, and a firefighter received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries, officials reported. Two occupants were displaced by the blaze.
Fire officials said the circumstances inside the home made advancing hose lines and conducting search and rescue impractical, leading to the tactical decision to withdraw crews from inside the structure.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by local authorities, with no further details released as of the latest update.