PITTSBURGH - Officials say an elderly Pittsburgh man is dead after firefighters struggled to battle a blaze at his home because it was packed chest-high with belongings.


Investigators say 77-year-old John Rabusseau died Wednesday morning in the fire at his home in the city's Crafton Heights neighborhood. Deputy Fire Chief Dan Hennessy says Rabusseau was a hoarder whose five-foot piles of collectables made it hard for firefighters to access the building.

Hennessy says Rabusseau's body was found near the front door and he was likely impeded by the objects inside. He says three firefighters had to remove the door because it opened inward and was blocked by the items.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.

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