WASHINGTON – Firefighters fought a fire in a Brentwood, Md. duplex that was so packed with “stuff” that they had to retreat and use foam to completely extinguish the blaze, according to Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department.

At around 5:45 p.m. on Friday, firefighters were alerted to a fire in a two-story duplex in the 3400 block of Webster Street. The blaze which engulfed both floors of the home also presented firefighters with a challenge to access the home’s interior because it was packed full of “Class A combustibles” stacked from the floor to the ceiling. Class A combustibles generally include wood, cloth, rubber and some plastic materials.

The hoarder conditions resulted in firefighters having to evacuate the home for their own safety, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department says.

Firefighters then regrouped and initiated a different strategy to fight the fire. The use of foam had to be applied to extinguish the fire completely. The application of foam is used to coat the fuel load and to cool and smother a fire. Foam also helps eliminate oxygen from a combustion equation.

Prince George’s County firefighters remained on the scene for an extended period of time to overhaul the debris.

No injuries were reported from the blaze. The Prince George’s County Citizen Services Unit was on location and assisted the occupant, who was displaced. The cause of the fire is under investigation and the damage is estimated at $25,000.

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