Thursday, December 3, 2009

Hoarding can create firetraps, experts warn

A compulsive hoarder fills every inch of his or her home with so much stuff it becomes a significant health and fire hazard, experts say.

Piles of combustible materials such as old newspapers or boxes increase the potential for a devastating fire, while tightly stacked piles are crafted into narrow paths, which may be difficult to navigate in an emergency or smoke-filled room.

The situation may be so bad objects block or impede exits, potentially trapping a person.

This may be the case in the blaze that killed a man in a Talbot Avenue home yesterday.

Neighbours described the homeowner as a hoarder whose house was bursting at the seams with belongings..." More