An elderly couple who police say had a history of hoarding died in a house fire Friday morning in West Goshen Township.
The fire started at the home along the 1200 block of Gail Road just after 7 a.m. Irene O'Neil, 68, and Robert O'Neil, 85, were found dead inside the home after the fire was controlled.
Lieutenant Greg Stone with the West Goshen Police Department told NBC10 the conditions inside the home were deplorable and firefighters had a difficult time getting to the victims because of all of the items inside the home.
Several birds were removed from the home, SPCA workers took them to a nearby shelter. Some birds did not survive.
Township officials had worked with the couple several times in the past to try to help them clean up the house, according to Stone.
Officials believe an electrical problem caused the fire.
Neighbors told NBC10 they reached out to Township and County services to try and help the couple. Philip Bennie, the couple's home healthcare aid, tells NBC10 he tried to help them with the piles of boxes and other items inside their home.
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"Everyday she bought stuff from Ebay," said Bennie. "I told her I would move the stuff and she said she was not ready yet."
Robert was in treatment for Alzheimer's while Irene could barely walk. Neighbors say Irene was a hoarder who constantly bought things online and piled them up around her. Lieutenant Stone says the Fire Marshal and zoning officers urged O'Neil to clean up her home in the past.
"It's something that we've been working on with this couple to try and get them to clean their house up," said Lieutenant Stone.
