Are you a compulsive hoarder or do you know someone who hoards items? If you know a house is which is full of items it can be a fire hazard. This guide will give you advice you need to keep the house safe from an accidental fire.
Chapter 1
Hoarding and Fire Safety
Chapter 2
Statistics On Hoarding-related Fire Incidents
Chapter 3
Tips For Helping To Prevent Hoarding-related Fires
Chapter 4
Help, Advice And Resources For People At Risk And Those Helping
Chapter 1
Hoarding and Fire Safety
Fire services callouts to properties affected by hoarding are becoming more common in many cities and suburbs around the world.
Most studies have concluded this is due to a combination of:
A gradually ageing population (hoarding behaviours are more common in the elderly)
The fact that people tend to have more possessions today than in previous decades, and
A growing awareness of hoarding as a more widespread disorder than previously realised
Deaths from fires in the home are at an all-time low in Great Britain; incidents have reduced by 40% in the last ten years. However, increased awareness of problematic hoarding reveals that people who hoard remain a significantly more vulnerable group:
It is estimated that between 2 and 5% of the population hoard – at least 1.2 million households across the UK
It is estimated that only 5% of hoarders come to the attention of statutory agencies
Hoarding behaviours leading to risk of death from fire are acknowledged to me much more prevalent in older people:
There were 271 fire deaths in Great Britain in 2012/13, of which 168 (62%) deaths were of people aged 60 or more
During this period, people over the age of 60 were ten times more likely to die in a fire than those aged 17-24
A London-based study carried out using data from 2011-2012 found evidence of 10 fire-related deaths where hoarding was present – all but one of the victims was over the age of 55
An elders-at-risk program in Boston reported that 15% of their elderly clients exhibited severe hoarding problems, with similar levels reported by the Visiting Nurse Association of New York City
67% of hoarding-related complaints mention it being a fire hazard. In interviews conducted as part of an extensive fire safety and hoarding study in Australia, researchers reported that:
35% of people who hoard did consider their clutter unhygienic
38% admitted having fallen in the home as a direct effect of clutter
47% considered their hoarding to be a fire hazard
25% of people who hoard did not believe their hoarding presented any sort of safety risk
Reports by health officers and elder services caseworkers indicate that fewer than 50% of people who hoard fully recognise the severity of their problem – many appear to ignore or dramatically underestimate the level of clutter in their homes
The fire hazards resulting from hoarding behaviours can be broken down into two main categories: initiating hazards and enabling hazards.
Initiating hazards
Hoarding itself does not usually present an initiating hazard, as hoarded items are rarely the source of ignition
Examples of initiating hazards can include heating or cooking equipment, or electrical distribution equipment – these are more commonly used in unorthodox or potentially dangerous ways by people whose home environments have been compromised by hoarding
Percentage of appliances not usable among elderly people who hoard: – Stove/oven: 58% – Fridge/freezer: 44% – Kitchen sink: 39% – Bathtub: 39% – Bathroom sink: 23% – Toilet: 11% 4% of homes where a hoarding fire occurred in the Australian study were disconnected from the grid at the time of ignition
The overall percentages of fires initiating from heaters, open flames, or lamps are similar among hoarding fires, fatal hoarding fires, and general fatal fires
Electrical faults and – to a lesser extent – smoking are the most prevalent causes of fatal hoarding fires overall
Smoking appears to cause relatively few fires in hoarding households compared to numbers for domestic fires in general, but data suggests that within hoarding households, fires started from smoking are over three times more likely to result in death
Enabling hazards
Enabling hazards are defined as factors, items or scenarios “with potential to increase the severity of consequences resulting from an already-initiated fire”
Hazard level is closely related to the time from established burning until Full Room Involvement (FRI)
This time can range anywhere from one minute to 20 minutes for most normal-sized rooms
The exact time depends on five factors: – room size – interior finish – contents clutter – contents material – kindling fuels
Therefore, more clutter generally means a shorter time to FRI
Chapter 2
Statistics On Hoarding-related Fire Incidents
While hoarding disorders can affect anybody, statistically males aged 50+ are at the greatest risk of fire-related injury or death due to hoarding:
More than 70% of hoarding-related fires occur in households where the occupant is over 50 years old and male. 67% of hoarding-related complaints mention it being a fire hazard, although fire crews acknowledge that hoarding behaviours themselves are not usually a direct cause of fire
Statistically, the source of ignition in hoarding fires is not much different than the average residential fire. Hoarding households do have a higher than average rate of fire caused by ‘unorthodox use of utilities’
Of the elderly people who hoard interviewed in a 2009 study, more than half did not have a working s stove or oven, and commonly used makeshift measures
Australian research into hoarding-related fires in Melbourne ranked them among the deadliest of all blazes:
48 incidents in hoarding properties (just 1% of the total residential fires attended) were responsible for a quarter of all fire-related deaths over an eight-year period
In addition, the costs of such fires were found to be substantially greater than non-hoarding related ones:
The average dollar loss for residential fires in non-hoarding properties was around $13,000 – just 12.6% of the average damage estimate in hoarding fires
Cost per response for emergency services was found to be about 16 times higher in cases of hoarding fires than for other residential callouts
Fires in hoarding properties are often more severe than average:
The frequency of pump use in tackling hoarding fires (often considered an indicator of fire severity) is almost twice the average for residential callouts
The number of responders needed on site is typically higher for hoarding incidents
In roughly 10% of hoarding fires, fire spreads and causes damage to neighbouring homes; a much higher percentage than in most other types of domestic fire
On average, only 40% of fires in properties affected by moderate to severe hoarding are contained to the room of origin; typical containment rates in average residential fires are closer to 90%
Of the hoarding-related fire callouts studied for the Melbourne research, impeded egress or access was specifically mentioned as a contributing factor in 38% of incident reports.
Chapter 3
Tips For Helping To Prevent Hoarding-related Fires
While hoarding disorders can affect anybody, statistically males aged 50+ are at the greatest risk of fire-related injury or death due to hoarding:
More than 70% of hoarding-related fires occur in households where the occupant is over 50 years old and male. 67% of hoarding-related complaints mention it being a fire hazard, although fire crews acknowledge that hoarding behaviours themselves are not usually a direct cause of fire
Recognise The Danger Signs
The Top Five Items Saved By People Who Hoard Are:
These are all highly combustible materials, and in copious quantities can promote a fast-spreading, very hot fire that is hard to suppress.
Fires in hoarding properties present an elevated danger not only to the residents, but also to neighbouring buildings and people
Accumulation of possessions results in an abnormally high fuel load and greater opportunity for ignition • The more materials within a structure, the greater the heat release, the smoke and toxin releases
Blocked exits and narrow internal pathways impede escape for the occupant and access for firefighters
Non-functional gas or electricity may result in unsafe practices for cooking and heating • In many severely cluttered homes, it’s common to find unsafe electrical circuits that have become damaged through neglect, or by pets and vermin
If you or someone you know does store copious amounts of possessions in and around your home, you can help keep yourself safe from fire by following the advice below.
Ideally, these simple steps should be incorporated into a regularly scheduled clearance programme:
Make it a priority to keep cooking areas clear, whether using orthodox equipment or a makeshift setup
Remove any items placed on (or close to) heaters, lamps and other electrical equipment
Do not store gas cylinders in the home – they are a serious hazard during a fire – If there is a medical need for gas cylinders, including oxygen, they should be kept upright and outdoors where possible – Never store cylinders in basements, under stairs or in cupboards with electric meters or equipment
Smokers should always use a proper ashtray that won’t burn, placing it on a flat, stable surface – Never leave lit cigarettes unattended
Candles and tea lights should be used in well-fitting, heat resistant holders, and placed on a flat, stable, heat-resistant surface away from combustible materials – Never leave lit candles unattended
Install smoke alarms and test them weekly – your local fire service can assist and advise on this – Only 26% of hoarding households had a working smoke alarm in the Melbourne study, compared to the household average of 66% – 60% of hoarding households did not have any smoke alarms installed – 12% had malfunctioning or non-operational devices
Plan and practise how to escape from your home in case of fire: – Identify at least two different escape routes, and keep them clear of possessions (including all doors and windows) – Store possessions on stable surfaces, and do not stack them to a height at which they become unstable – they could fall and block your escape
Newspapers and mail stored in bulk are highly combustible and will cause a fire to spread rapidly – Sort through paper items on the day you receive them, and recycle on a regular basis
In the event of a fire: – Do not attempt to put it out yourself – Leave your home immediately, and call the fire service from a safe location outside – Do not stop to collect possessions – Do not go back inside once you have escaped
Chapter 4
Help, Advice And Resources For People At Risk And Those Helping
For people attempting to assist someone at risk of hoarding-related fire:
When attempting to approach or assist someone you suspect may be coping with hoarding disorders that put them at increased fire risk, consider the three distinguishing traits defined by Frost and Hartl (1996) to identify a person who hoards:
The acquisition of, and failure to discard, large numbers of possessions that appear to be useless or of limited financial or sentimental value
Living spaces sufficiently cluttered that using the room as intended has become impossible
Significant distress or impairment in the ability to function
Also important to remember:
Hoarding isn’t a matter of choice, stubbornness or economy – it’s a mental health condition, and should be approached appropriately
Surprise clean-ups do not typically ‘work’ as a long-term solution for hoarding problems
Relapses are common if the core mental health aspects of compulsive hoarding disorders are not addressed
Unaddressed hoarding behaviours will often begin again immediately after a clean-up, even in a new environment
Around 10% of hoarding-related fire incident reports over the past decade specifically mention that an occupant was uncooperative during the callout
People affected by hoarding may also experience an elevated level of isolation, and reject offers of assistance either due to – Awkwardness, embarrassment or a concern for privacy – Fear that intervention will result in removal of their possessions
Prevalence of comorbidities associated with hoarding: – major depression – 57% – social phobia (fear of being subject to outside criticisms) – 29% – generalized anxiety disorder – 28%
Unblock exits and make sure all escape routes are kept clear at all times
Widen internal pathways between possessions
Check all utilities are connected and in good working order
Prioritise removing clutter from around cooking areas and stove tops
Ensure clutter is removed from around heaters and electrical items
Discourage the use of open flames or hazardous makeshift solutions for cooking and lighting
Sort and recycle any highly combustible materials such as mail and newspapers
Notes on duties, responsibilities and permissions:
In the UK, rulings introduced relating to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) under the Housing Act 2004 give local authorities the right:
– to enter dwellings after giving 24 hours’ notice in cases where a hazard has been identified or they believe a hazard exists
– to use enforcement powers to take remedial action where required
A firefighter has a duty to:
– address hazards as they’re found at a property
– remove anything that poses an immediate danger to the occupant or to others in the area (including emergency services teams)
– be mindful to respect the privacy and independence of people living as they choose in their own accommodation
Sources
International OCD Foundation’s Clutter Image Ratings (click here) How fire spreads in a cluttered room – video (click here) Tips for firefighters responding to incidents in hoarder homes (click here) Free guide for the fire service (click here) Safety Sheet on hoarding (click here) Arrange a free home fire safety visit (London) (click here) National Fire Protection Association article: The Dangers of Too Much Stuff (click here)
For people at risk of hoarding-related fire Many organisations online offer free support for people at greater risk of fire due to hoarding:
Full House Clearance
Hourly Service
Rubbish Removal
Factory Clearance
Office Clearance
Trauma Cleaning
Hoarder Clearance
Probate Clearance
