Police: Alcohol A Factor In Fatal St. Cloud Fire
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (WCCO) -- Investigators think alcohol was a factor in a St. Cloud fire that left one college student dead and another person injured.
The Nov. 24 fire on the 500 block of 8th Avenue South killed 23-year-old Kyle Kopischke, a student from Comfrey studying at St. Cloud Technical College.
It appears the fire began in the kitchen and moved throughout the walls, ceilings and roof of the building. Investigators found that two of the stove's burners were turned on.
The smoke detector in the building was disabled and located on a shelf in the victim's bedroom with the battery removed. There were no sprinklers in the structure.
Also injured in the fire was 22-year-old Kevin Murphy, of St. Cloud. He suffered a number of injuries, including smoke inhalation.
Investigators believe that alcohol was a factor in the incident.
