Firefighters battled a northside house fire Tuesday at what they're calling a hoarding house.
According to Tucson Fire Capt. Barrett Baker, the blaze started in the noon hour in the backyard of a home in the 800 block of East Windsor, then spread to the house. No one was home at the time of the fire.
Once inside, firefighters say there were stacks of items up to five feet high in some areas. These items made it difficult for crews to move around inside the home.
After crews realized there was no one inside the home, they decided to take a different approach. Crews chose to fight the fire from the outside so it would not spread.
Once the majority of the flames were put out, firefighters began to remove things from the home to extinguish hot spots.
Tucson Fire says anytime there is a lot of items in a house it can be dangerous for crews as there is more that can catch on fire and it could be easy for them to get trapped.
It took crews about an hour to get the fire under control. Tucson Fire says they come across these types of situations about once every few months. The home will likely have to be condemned.
Nine units consisting of 23 firefighters initially responded to the call. Additional resources were called in to rotate firefighters because of 90 degree temperatures. No firefighters were hurt in extinguishing this fire.
The resident of the home returned to the scene as crews were battling the fire. It is unknown if the man in his 50's is going to require assistance from the Red Cross.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation and the estimate on damages is yet to be determined.
