One person is dead and at least three others, including two firefighters, were injured after a fast-moving house fire tore through a Fort Worth home overnight, authorities said Thursday.
The Fort Worth Fire Department said crews were dispatched to the 3500 block of Avenue J at roughly 2:45 a.m. after reports of a residential fire. Responding units arrived to find flames already spreading heavily across the front of the structure.
Firefighters pulled two occupants from the burning home. One victim was declared dead at the location, while the second was airlifted to a hospital for treatment, the department confirmed.
At least two firefighters suffered injuries while working to contain the blaze, which officials say was made significantly more dangerous by cluttered conditions inside the home.
Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek described the property as a “hoarder home,” noting that stacked belongings near doors and windows severely restricted movement for crews searching through heat and heavy smoke.
Trojacek praised the responding firefighters, saying they managed to carry out their search-and-rescue effort despite repeatedly hitting physical obstacles blocking their path through the residence.
Officials have not yet released the identities of the deceased victim, the hospitalized victim, or the injured firefighters.
An investigation into what sparked the fire is currently underway, according to the Fort Worth Fire Department.