Man dead after Dearborn house in hoarder-like condition catches fire

DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A man died after a three-alarm fire broke out in his cluttered Dearborn home early Monday morning, according to the fire department.

The fire took place around 7:30 a.m. in the 2000 block of Detroit Street in Dearborn. 

Riley Hebert and her dad, who live in the neighborhood, said they saw flames coming from the man's home. That’s when Herbert's dad jumped into action.

"He ran right over there," Herbert said. "He just opened the window, and he tried to pull him out, actually. My dad physically was trying to get him out of the window, but he was dead weight."

Crews arrived about five minutes after the fire was reported by the neighbors.

Dearborn Fire Chief Joseph Murray described the home's condition as hoarder-like, which complicated the rescue efforts.

"They did find the victim in a back bedroom," Murray said. "Unfortunately, in this circumstance, there was some hoarding activity and a lot of content in the house, making it difficult to maneuver through the house. But they were able to get to the victim. The victim was a larger gentleman, and they worked very hard to extricate him from the house."

But during the rescue attempt, two firefighters ran out of air, prompting a mayday call. Additional first responders arrived on the scene to help.

(Ian Kushnir)

One firefighter was able to self extract himself through a window, and the other was able to get out with the assistance of a Rapid Intervention Team. 

The firefighters were not injured.

The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The name of the victim is not being released at this time as family members are still being notified of his death.

The fire was put out and an investigation is ongoing. 

"There were no reports of smoke alarms going off, and that is a very dangerous situation," Murray said. "The majority of house fires in Dearborn where we find fatalities are homes that don’t have smoke alarms." 

Dearborn residents in need of smoke detectors should contact fire officials.

"We actually provide smoke alarms free of charge," Murray said. "We come in, we install them and everything."