FIREFIGHTERS spent almost seven hours tackling a blaze which destroyed the home of a 99-year-old hoarder yesterday.
The blaze broke out at the house in Hawthorn Terrace, South Bank, near Middlesbrough, just before 7am. Five fire appliances attended the fire, which took so long to put out because of the amount of waste paper and other materials stored in the house.
It started when the man lit a fire to destroy some of the papers and left it unattended.
A fire brigade spokesman said two of the bedrooms escaped relatively unscathed, but suffered water and smoke damage.
Adjoining properties were also smoke-damaged.
The man, who has not been named, was unhurt but was checked out by paramedics.
He was being re-housed by Redcar and Borough Cleveland Council.
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