Elderly veteran dies in blaze at Easton home where hoarding conditions hampered firefighters

EASTON, MASS. (WHDH) - An 84-year-old veteran died in a fire at a home in Easton Wednesday after firefighters struggled to get to him and put out the flames due to “extreme” hoarding conditions, officials said.

Crews responding to a report of smoke coming from the backside of a single-family home on Dean Street about 8 a.m. found heavy flames in the basement and on the first floor, according to the Easton Fire Department.

Firefighters were impeded from making an aggressive interior attack due to the presence of an “excessive amount of clutter” inside the house, officials said.

A body, believed to be that of homeowner David Berman, was later found in the rubble. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The state medical examiner’s office is working to formally identify the victim and determine a cause of death.

“On behalf of the Easton Fire Department, I would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Berman,” Easton Fire Chief Kevin Partridge said in a statement. “In speaking with his family this afternoon, I have come to learn that Mr. Berman was both an Air Force and Marine veteran and we are thankful for his service.”

Firefighters from Mansfield, Norton, West Bridgewater, Raynham, and Stoughton battled the blaze for about two hours before fully extinguishing the flames.

No one else was inside the home and no other injuries were reported.

The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation.

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