One person has died and another was critically injured after a house fire in Arlington, Virginia, fire officials say.
Officials said clutter made it difficult to get inside the home during the fire. A neighbor said the homeowners were former store owners whose business in the Pentagon City mall had recently closed, and that they were keeping their inventory in their home.
Firefighters responded to the home in the 2600 block of S. Grant Street shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday, and neighbors told them that the two residents of the home were unaccounted for.
Firefighters found both people on the first floor and pulled them from the home.
A man was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman was rushed to Virginia Hospital Center with life-threatening injuries, fire officials said.
Crews were able to get the flames under control without about 20 minutes.
Fire officials said there were "hoarding conditions" at the home. "Widespread clutter in the home not only delayed search, rescue and suppression efforts but was also found later to be a factor in spreading the flames," fire officials said in a release Monday afternoon.
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Their neighbor said in addition to their former store, the couple also sold antiques at swap meets throughout the mid-Atlantic region and kept the items for sale at home.
