Hoarding increases fire danger, says Sask. fire marshal
Hoarders put themselves and firefighters at greater risk by surrounding themselves with combustible materials, says Regina fire marshal Randy Ryba.
A fire investigator of more than 20 years, Ryba said he has seen many cases where hoarding made it difficult for firefighters to respond.
"I've done many fatal fires and some in structures where people are storing excessive amounts of material, where it's almost impossible to get into the building at all," he said.
"Some homes will have things piled up to the ceiling with pathways to rooms that are still in use."
Adding fuel to the fire
Ryba said hoarding was a contributing factor in some fatal fires because it added fuel to buildings that were not designed to store that amount of material.
It also made it harder to rescue a person trapped inside, he added.
"It makes it very difficult because our first priority of course is rescuing anybody that may be in the house," he said.
"Doors are blocked by boxes and the like, one way in, one way out. It's very, very difficult for our crews."
He added some fires could be prevented if people cut back on the materials they kept inside their homes, or made efforts to organize them.
Although the fire department has the authority to order a commercial property owner to cut back on materials, it has to have consent before it can enter a person's home.
