ST PAUL, Minn. — Editor's Note: The video above first aired on Jan. 22, 2022.
A resident pulled from a burning home in St. Paul Tuesday did not survive, marking the city's first fire fatality of 2023.
St. Paul fire officials say engine crews were dispatched to a house on the 1000 block of Western Ave. N. just after 12:30 p.m. after a passerby noticed smoke pouring out the windows of the structure. First responders entered the home and quickly located the person, brought them outside and immediately started lifesaving measures.
The resident was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive.
Three pets were inside the home at the time of the fire. One was able to escape when firefighters entered the home, but the other two were found deceased.
Crews spent more than three hours on the scene knocking down the fire. Investigators are still trying to determine a cause.
During a press conference Wednesday a reporter noted that the exterior of the home appeared mostly unaffected by the fire, something Deputy Fire Chief Roy Mokosso says is not that unusual in the case of fatal fires.
"Fire fatalities, when they do occur, victims usually succumb to asphyxia due to smoke inhalation as opposed to actual burns from the fire," he explained.
While he wouldn't speculate on what may have started the fire, Mokosso did tell reporters house fires start picking up this time of year as residents close their windows and flip their furnaces back on due to falling overnight temps. Some of those furnaces, he says, may have barely made it through the previous winter and have not been checked by a technician.
Residents also begin using space heaters, which are a major cause of fires when used incorrectly.
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