St. Paul Fire Victim Identified
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Firefighters said a stove being used to heat a house was the cause of a fire that killed a man in St. Paul on Monday night.
Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard said 60-year-old Richard Meier died in a fire at his house at 754 Charles Ave.
According to Zaccard, neighbors reported seeing flames coming from Meier's kitchen window. Firefighters arrived and found Meier dead on the kitchen floor.
Crews determined the fire started after Meier was using the stove to heat his house. Nearby combustibles were ignited and it spread throughout the kitchen. Firefighters found that three of the stove's burners were turned on and Meier was possibly burned while trying to put out the fire.
Smoke detectors were in the house, but it's not known if they operated properly. Damage is estimated at $60,000.
There were no other injuries.
Zaccard warns that you should never use a stove or oven to heat your home. Gas burners with an open flame can produce levels of carbon monoxide that might ignite nearby materials. He suggests using an electric space heater if you need extra heat. But, you should keep that away from kids and at least three feet away from anything that may ignite.
