Man found dead in Hesperia house fire amid hoarding conditions

HESPERIA, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was found dead inside a home in Hesperia, which went up in flames early Wednesday morning.

A passerby called 911 around 4:45 a.m. after seeing flames coming from the back of the home located in the 15600 block of Mission Street.

The first arriving engine company saw heavy smoke and flames shooting through the tile roof from the rear of the single-story, single-family dwelling, officials said.

Firefighters were then alerted to a possible rescue situation. When firefighters entered the home, they were faced with hoarding conditions, officials said. Then, a part of the roof collapsed over the room where the fire likely started, forcing firefighters to withdraw from the structure for their own safety.

After most of the fire was knocked down, firefighters went back into the building and found a deceased adult male in the living room, possibly overcome by smoke inhalation.

A neighbor captured the fire on video. Madison Mack said she woke up to the house across her engulfed in flames.

"When I got up and saw the flames, they were reaching out above the roof and it was just burning," she said.

Other neighbors said they didn't really know the victim and described him as a bit of a recluse.

"He was very private about everything. He always tried to cover his face," Mack said.

Authorities said no one else was inside the home at the time of the blaze, and no other injuries were reported.

Arson investigators will determine the cause of the fire and found evidence that it started in the back bedroom.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.