Reading firefighters were forced to withdraw from the home after personal belongings clogged hallways and rooms

By Mike Grimala
masslive.com

READING, Mass. — Two people, including a firefighter, were injured Wednesday in a Reading house fire after firefighters encountered “hoarding conditions” inside the home.

A neighbor reported a fire at 27 James Road after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to WCVB. Firefighters from multiple towns responded and entered the house.

| MORE: Inside the Collyer Mansion: How extreme hoarding sparked a warning phrase for firefighters

A 65-year-old resident was taken to the hospital with burn injuries that were not considered life-threatening. A Melrose firefighter was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Firefighters were turned back by the untidy interior of the house, Reading fire chief Rick Nelson told WCVB.

“Companies had to leave the inside of the dwelling due to hoarding conditions found inside,” Nelson told the outlet.

Personal belongings cluttering the house made it dangerous for firefighters to make their way inside.

“The conditions that they found inside were a lot of heavy personal belongings clogging hallways and rooms,” Nelson told WCVB. “It made advancing hose lines very, very difficult, and made conditions very unsafe to be inside.”

Two other people were displaced by the fire, according to NBC Boston.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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