‘Hoarding Conditions' Thwart Firefighters During Meriden House Fire

Hoarding conditions and cold weather made a difficult job for firefighters when flames erupted at a home in Meriden Monday.

Meriden Fire Chief Ken Morgan said crews were called to the home on Belvedere Drive just before 5 p.m. When they arrived they found heavy smoke pouring out of the door and heavy fire in the back of the building.

Firefighters found one person inside the house and took them outside. The victim was able to tell fire crews where he thought the fire started and was later taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Morgan said there was a lot of stuff in the home and while it wasn't piled high, there was so much it was difficult for crews to find little pockets of fire.

“We've got it all knocked down but there’s going to be extensive overhaul in this building due to some hoarding conditions so we'll be here for quite a while taking care of that,” Morgan said.

It appears the fire may have started in the basement, where much of the collection was stored, according to Morgan. The state of things inside the home paired with the cold temperatures and icy conditions outside made it difficult work for firefighters.

“None of the firemen have been injured. considering the work they had to do to a - get into where the fire was at and b - deal with the stuff they had to get over to get to it we're pretty lucky today,” Morgan said.

The home is considered a complete loss.

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