ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Firefighters prepare to risk their lives every time they climb onto a fire truck.

Rochester Fire Department Capt. David Abdoch says one of the many challenges first responders face when arriving on scene is whether the home's occupants have a hoarding condition. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, house fires at homes with hoarding conditions can put occupants and firefighters at a higher risk for injury and even death. 

"That fire's going to burn intensely," Abdoch said. 

That's why firefighters are always ready to take action by staying well-trained and overly prepared. Despite that, Abdoch says hoarding conditions can still be extra dangerous for his team. 

"With the exits obstructed, it’s going to make it hard for the person who lives inside to be able to exit the home safely, but it’s also going to prove a problem for us to hurry up to get inside, find the person and find the seed of the fire.” 

Of the more than 385,000 house fires the NFPA reports each year, Abdoch recalls one he responded to. 

"The boxes were so high, they were taller than me," Abdoch explained. "It was very difficult for us because it was a heavy fire and legit, it made it hard to walk down the hallways without knocking something over that could affect someone else."

These extra challenges make the next steps more difficult when fighting an emergency fire. 

“It is hard for us to move. It’s going to be hard for us to move that line inside if it’s hard for us to move that fire hose inside. It’s going to take more time for us to put water on that fire,” Abdoch said. "It's like a domino effect almost." 

More time fighting the fires means more time trying to find and save homeowners, their pets and the firefighting team. 

"It is going to be harder for me to get out, which now puts my life in danger and my partner’s life in danger because we have a system, we count on each other,” he said.

That's why the Rochester Fire Department recommends keeping things three feet away from ignition sources, keeping a clear path to exits and making sure your smoke detector is working properly. 

"So at least if there is something happening, you have an early detection because that is the thing that’s going to help anybody is early detection, and having that emergency escape plan,” Abdoch said.

These tips can help keep everyone involved in a house fire safe, regardless of whether there are hoarding conditions.