THE NSW Fire and Rescue Service wants people to dob in hoarders after an elderly Sydney couple was injured in a fire fuelled by piles of junk.
Their Marrickville home was destroyed by the blaze which broke out when some of their hoarded items were ignited by a candle on Sunday night, NSWFRS Superintendent Tom Cooper said.
To get into the house, firefighters had to scale a pile of hoarded goods in the couple's front yard with a ladder.
"The people's belongings were stacked up to the roof, they even had belongings stacked inside the roof," Supt Cooper said.
The man and woman were found near the front of the house by emergency services.
The woman's clothes were on fire and she suffered serious burns to 20 per cent of her body, Supt Cooper said.
Both were taken to hospital, where the woman remains in a serious condition.
Neighbouring houses were also evacuated.
Items from clothes to fishing roads, body boards and scrap metal had been packed throughout the couple's house and in their front yard.
They had also filled a van, a small four wheel drive and a trailer with goods that couldn't fit in their home.
I wonder what will happen to the old folks when they're released out of hospital.
I can't imagine living like that, although I'm guilty of hoarding stuff. I guess it all piles up til it gets too big to tackle so you give up.
One of the firemen interviewed was so nice. He never once mentioned the words "junk" or ''rubbish" He called it "storage".
How sweet.
I like firemen 
