January 29 - At 0522, units from the San Bernardino County Fire Department responded to numerous reports of a house fire in the 8400 block of 4th Street in Hesperia. Four minutes later, the first engines arrived on scene to find a 4000 square foot, single-family residence with heavy smoke and flames showing through the roof.

It took the sixteen responding firefighters from Hesperia and Victorville well over an hour to control the inferno.

Initial access to the home was delayed, as the house had been deemed unsafe for occupation by the City of Hesperia Code Enforcement Agency. To dissuade people from entering the building, Code Enforcement had boarded up all access points and placed a solid steel bar gate over the front door.

Investigation determined that the house had been occupied by a hoarder, whose collection included reading materials that were stacked practically to the ceiling in many of the rooms. This created fire conditions so intense that it kept firefighters from entering the structure.

The house is a total loss, and due to the quantity of contents in the home, Hesperia Public Works brought out a bulldozer to assist in removing the debris.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by County Fire investigators and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Arson/Bomb unit.

---