There were thirty-six fire deaths in Minnesota in 2016, 58% of them in a 1 or 2 family dwelling (single-family house, townhouse or duplex), according to the Fire Marshal. Twenty-two of those deaths happened in the first six months. We are just past the six month point in 2017, and there were 30 deaths, up 36% from 2016.
Fire deaths up 36% over this time last year. Properly dispose of cigarettes, use flameless candles & test your smoke alarms. #SafeNotSorry pic.twitter.com/rZ6BLOjKPR
— State Fire Marshal (@MnDPS_SFM) July 7, 2017
Although most of the fatal fires are still under investigation, the known causes of these fatal fires include gas leaks, careless open burning, smoking, an unattended portable heater, cooking grease and suicide. The most common injuries are second and third-degree burns and smoke inhalation; however, when there is an explosion, flying debris can cause fatal penetration wounds.
Some of the 2017 Fatal Fires
The most recent fatal fire happened on June 28 in a Maplewood house. The owner, a 76-year-old man, was found in the house with severe burns and smoke inhalation injuries. He was rushed to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, the regional burn treatment center, but died of burns and smoke inhalation.
Man died in a house fire in Maplewood, despite the life-saving efforts of his neighbor. https://t.co/nKZB8GK09y
— KARE 11 (@kare11) June 30, 2017
One man died May 30 in an apartment fire in Wayzata. The 69-year-old man was a resident of the apartment.
One of the three gas-leak fires happened on May 20th, an explosion at a cabin on Lake Jefferson in Cleveland, Minnesota, sent two people to the hospital with 2nd and 3rd-degree burns. Both of them died of their injuries. A natural gas leak in the cabin’s gas lines was determined to be the cause of the explosion.
On April 27, an apartment fire in North Minneapolis killed one person. The apartment building, located in the 2000 block of Washington Avenue, was located on the second and third floor. The first floor was Cliff and norm’s Bar. Firefighters found a woman on the third floor. She was transported to the hospital with severe burns and died that day. Two men were found on the third floor. They had smoke inhalation injuries but survived.
On April 7, a house in South Minneapolis went up in flames. After firefighters put it out, they found the body of a man inside. The Minneapolis Fire Department investigated.
On March 15, a 58-year-old woman died in a Moorhead apartment fire that was caused by smoking materials in the bedroom.
In early February, there were three fatal home fires in the Duluth area: one about 15 miles northeast of Duluth, one in Hermantown and one north of Cloquey.
Legal Help for Your Family
If you would like to speak with an attorney at our law firm about a fire lawsuit, call 612-338-0202 or 1-888-377-8900 (toll free). The consultation is free. If a person or company (building owner, for example) is responsible for the fire, your family may have the right to seek compensation with a wrongful death lawsuit.
