HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A home in Hollywood that burned down in a massive fire, leaving a trail of debris, had received several violations from the city prior to the blaze, officials said.
On Wednesday, the home was fenced off, and crews with the City of Hollywood cleaned up the debris that remained.
But officials said the mess and garbage that surrounded the home has been there for months.
Hollywood Fire Rescue crews on Tuesday were able to extinguish the flames at the home along the 2900 block of Wiley Street, early Tuesday evening.
No one was inside at the time, and injuries were reported.
Several area residents said they saw the fire.
"I was having like a panic attack, and I saw this big smoke cloud," said neighbor Luke Orbsten.
Area resident Sherlyne Clesitor said she witnessed the fire from Interstate 95.
"I thought it was a car that caught on fire on I-95, but as I got closer, and I turned into my neighborhood, I noticed it was my neighbor," she said.
It appeared that it was a hoarding house, as there was tons of debris, plastic and wraps all around the house, which made it difficult for firefighters to fight the flames.
"That was our biggest challenge. Crews knew right away that this was going to be a hoarder type situation just by what they saw from the exterior," said Hollywood Fire Rescue Chief James Russo.
Drone video obtained exclusively by 7News showed the home a month before the fire. The drone recorded the backyard, which was filled with random garbage bags. The messy home could even be seen from Google Maps' satellite image from space.
"As soon as they tried to make entry, there were actually commingled [storage] trays and different storage garbage, I guess you would say," said Russo.
Neighbors said they had complained to the city about the mess, but the city said they responded to the complains, and this was an ongoing issue with the homeowner.
According to the City of Hollywood, the homeowner received multiple violations spanning from 2022 to 2024.
Prior to the home burning down, on Monday, the city deemed the home as an abatement, which would allow them to clean it up. Then the fire happened.
7News reached out to the homeowner on Wednesday, but he refused to comment.
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