1 Dead After Hoarder's House Packed With Clothes Goes Up in Flames in Bowie [VIDEO]

12000 blk of LOFTING CT, house fire @PGFDPIO @PGFD_Chief @BowieVFD pic.twitter.com/jrlQ1CAyxj
— Paul Hawkins (@PGFDPHOTOSE) July 31, 2016

A hoarding obsession appears to be at least partially responsible for a death from a house fire in Bowie. Enormous amounts of clothes stacked halfway to the ceiling not only fueled the flames but also hindered firefighters from doing their job, according to the Prince George's County Fire Department.

The fire broke out at 7 p.m. Sunday at a house in the 12000 block of Lofting Court in Bowie, according to a fire department statement.

"Fire/EMS units arrived at a 2-story single family home with fire showing from an attached garage with extension into the second floor," the statement notes. "When firefighters made entry into the burning home they encountered hoarding conditions throughout the structure hampering their ability to maneuver about to conduct searches and extinguish the fire."

The fire continued to grow in intensity, forcing firefighters out of the structure.

"Firefighters searched the house as best as they could twice without finding the occupant that was unaccounted for," the statement reads. "After a firefight lasting 75 minutes the fire was declared out. One firefighter sustained a laceration to his hand and was treated and released at an area hospital. Fire loss is estimated at $200,000."

During the investigation, a body was found in the structure. An autopsy will be conducted to identify the body and determine the cause of death.

Mark Brady, the spokesman for the fire department, said firefighters encountered clothes "piled up halfway to the ceiling, which hampered our efforts to get in and move about."

Asked whether the clothes also made the fire worse, he said, "without a doubt, it added a tremendous amount of fuel to the fire."