Vietnam War veteran found dead in fire at trash-filled home

Man suffering from hoarding disorder unable to escape piles of garbage in his home

This photo shows the pile of garbage found inside the home of the man who died in an Ulsan fire on Sunday. (Yonhap)

An elderly man in his 70s who died in a fire that broke out Sunday turned out to be a veteran of the Vietnam War who was living alone in a home filled with garbage.

According to the Ulsan Fire Headquarters, the blaze broke out at around 6:56 p.m. in the victim’s seventh-floor apartment. He was found unconscious inside the unit in cardiac arrest and later died despite receiving medical treatment.

Firefighters who forced their way into the apartment encountered piles of garbage stacked to eye level, hampering efforts to extinguish the flames. The fire was fully brought under control at around 2:40 a.m. Monday.

Authorities believe the man had lived as a severe hoarder in the apartment for nearly 20 years. Neighbors said he routinely brought home discarded items such as broken household appliances and old clothing.

Apartment security staff said they attempted to help him several years ago, using their own funds to remove trash and replace wallpaper and flooring.

The man later resumed collecting garbage and rebuffed further requests to clean the apartment, telling them to “take it up with the court.” District officials also urged him to clear out the unit, but he refused.

The incident has renewed concerns about fire safety in older residential buildings.

The 10-story apartment, built in 1996, did not have sprinklers, as such systems were not required at the time for residential buildings under 16 floors.

Under current law, all buildings with at least six floors must be equipped with sprinkler systems. Government data shows that nearly half of apartment buildings built more than 20 years ago lack sprinklers.

In July, a bill was proposed to apply the requirement retroactively to older buildings.

If passed, the revision would mandate sprinkler installation in all residential buildings, regardless of age, within two years of implementation.

“Joint residential buildings concentrate large numbers of people in confined spaces and are structurally difficult to evacuate during fires,” said Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition People Power Party, who proposed the revision.

“Stronger safety measures, including mandatory sprinklers, are necessary for these vulnerable structures.”