Many fire departments are experiencing serious fires, injuries and deaths as the result of compulsive hoarding behaviour.
The excessive accumulation of materials in homes poses a significant threat to firefighters fighting fires and responding to other emergencies in these homes and to residents and neighbours. Often, the local fire department will be contacted to help deal with this serious issue.
Since studies suggest that between three and five per cent of the population are compulsive hoarders, fire departments must become familiar with this issue and how to effectively handle it.
Hoarding is defined as collecting or keeping large amounts of various items in the home due to strong urges to save them or distress experienced when discarding them. Many rooms in the home are so filled with possessions that
residents can no longer use the rooms as designed. The home is so overloaded with things that everyday living is compromised.
Hoarding is a mental disorder that can be genetic in nature, triggered by traumatic events or a symptom of another disorder, such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder or dementia. Studies have found that hoarding usually begins in early adolescence and gets worse as a person ages. It is more common among older adults.
* Hoarding can be a fire hazard. Many occupants die in fires in these homes. Often, blocked exits prevent escape from the home. In addition, many people who are hoarding are injured when they trip over things or when materials fall on them.
* Responding firefighters can be put at risk due to obstructed exits, falling objects, and excessive fire loading that can lead to collapse. Hoarding makes fighting fires and searching for occupants far more difficult.
* Those living adjacent to an occupied structure can be quickly affected when a fire occurs, due to excessive smoke and fire conditions.
