Crews from three fire companies were impeded by “hoarding conditions” as they battled a blaze that damaged a vacant home in College Township early Monday morning, according to Alpha Fire Company.
Alpha responded just before 5 a.m. to the 300 block of Matilda Avenue and found smoke coming from inside the residence, the company wrote in a Facebook post. A second alarm was struck, and Boalsburg and Undine fire companies also responded to the scene.
Following multiple unsuccessful attempts to gain entry through the front door, crews stretched a 300-foot “stinger line” to a side basement door for fire attack. After the fire was located in the basement, an Alpha engine crew entered and extinguished it, according to the post.
A truck crew, meanwhile, cut ventilation holes in the roof to locate and stop running fire, and “to ventilate smoke and superheated gases,” according to the post.
Firefighters operated at the scene for more than three hours.
“Given hoarding conditions throughout the home, crews worked for a prolonged period of time to ensure all fire was extinguished,” Alpha wrote. “In the fire service, hoarding conditions involves objects throughout the home that impede and prolong operations. Crews worked diligently to sift through stacked materials to ensure the fire was fully extinguished. Conditions like these are not common in many of the incidents firefighters run each day and require special consideration and extra caution.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Centre Region fire marshal.
Centre LifeLink EMS provided medical standby. Pleasant Gap Fire Company provided coverage at Alpha’s State College station during the response.
