Firefighters battle blaze in possible hoarder's home



SEATTLE -- An early morning house fire presented several challenges as crews had to navigate a house full of combustible material to find a man and pull him to safety.

Firefighters say they were called to the 1800 block of S. Lane Street in Seattle just before 2 a.m. this morning. When they arrived, flames were shooting from the home on three of the four sides of the single-story home. Neighbors told firefighters that a man was likely still inside.

When firefighters started their search, they say they discovered the entire home was filled with material  that was piled waist and shoulder-high.

Rescue crews were able to find a man inside on the floor of the bedroom. The man was unresponsive and wasn't breathing. First responders performed CPR for 8 minutes and were finally able to get a pulse.

The man was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.

The blaze did not spread to any neighboring homes and they were not damaged.

Officials stopped short of calling the home a hoarder situation, but did say it was entirely packed with material.

The fire investigator determined improperly discarded smoking materials in an under-the-sink kitchen garbage can caused the fire. The damage estimate is $100,000 to the structure and $50,000 to the contents.

No firefighters were injured in the blaze.