The home had a typical amount of damage related to the size and cause of the fire but what I saw next was so truly shocking that my jaw hit the floor. The home was so cluttered with items, furniture, garbage, boxes, newspapers and the like that I couldn't possibly grasp how an entire family made it out of the home in one piece. The firemen had the hardest time out of everyone involved. Not only were their lives at risk due to the fire, but the condition of the home made their jobs nearly impossible. The clutter and debris covered the steps, blocked several entrances and exits, and the piles of stuff reached the ceiling in many rooms. There were only narrow passageways that broke through the homes contents, but they were dangerous and impassible at times. You can imagine how difficult it would be to close your eyes and maneuver through your home on its messiest day in the dark. Now, try to imagine moving through a house filled with piles of debris while smoke and flames burned your eyes and throat without a shred of light anywhere. This home was doomed even before the fire. It was the kind of house that you may have seen on those hoarding shows. A sad, unspeakably unsafe place to raise a family. Even though the fire had burned through quite a bit of the structure, the smell of the fire couldn't cover up the odor of mold and rotting materials.
This was no ordinary fire restoration job. It became a clean out, mold remediation, water damage, demolition and reconstruction job. Because of the hoarded materials, the home had overdue repair and maintenance work that had never been addressed. There was water damage that was concealed by the clutter which turned to a severe case of mold infestation. After the home was cleared of all the debris, we discovered that the floors and walls were so soft that you could pierce them with the slightest pressure from one finger. As I looked around at the work that was ahead of us, for the first time in my professional career, I truly didn't know where to begin. I was assured that the family would receive the help that they so desperately needed. The home was a rental and I could only empathize with the landlord/homeowner. I assured him that I wouldn't walk away from this job. Thank goodness for insurance.
The restoration process has only begun but I do have hope that there will be a finish line in the future. You can see that the obvious moral of the story is fire safety. We have to teach our children about the dangers of playing with matches. But just as important is that we recognize that illness can come in many forms. The illness that plagued these particular adults was hoarding. Their hoarding almost cost them their lives and the lives of their children. Keep your family safe by creating an escape plan in case of an emergency or fire. Be sure that your windows and doors are accessible to emergency personnel and of course to your family. Lastly, if you suspect that your family, friends or neighbors are in need of help, reach out to them in any way possible. The family in this situation were lucky but the story could have unfolded in a very different way.
