Minnesota officials warn of space heater safety after fatal fires
MINNEAPOLIS — Recent house fires have resulted in the deaths of four people in Minnesota.
Two people died in a St. Paul garage fire Sunday afternoon, and less than 12 hours after that, two people died in a Pine City house fire.
Paul Kelley, a neighbor of the victims in Pine City, says he first heard loud noises and then went outside to find flames shooting high into the sky.
"It was really scary," Kelley said. "I kind of felt like the entire neighborhood might go up in flames. I was definitely happy to see the fire department was here."
The Pine County Sheriff's Office is investigating the cause.
In St. Paul, the fire department says a man and his friend living in a garage on the city's east side died.
Investigators think a space heater tipped over and sparked the flames.
"It was a very unfortunate day yesterday with the fires," said State Fire Marshal Daniel Krier.
Krier says improper heating is a leading cause of winter fires.
"We have frigid temperatures all week so everyone is going to be thinking of 'how do I stay warm where I live?'" he said. "Give pause and think, 'Where is that space heater? Where is my furnace? What conditions are these things in?' What's stored around your fireplace?"
For space heaters, Krier says the best things to do are plug it into the wall, rest it on a hard surface, give it at least three feet of space and don't leave it on when leaving the house.
Krier says up to this point in the year, his investigators have seen about a 25% increase in the number of fires they've responded to.
