House explosion in Minnesota kills 20-year-old dogsitter

House explosion in Le Sueur Co. kills 20-year-old woman

A 20-year-old woman died late Saturday in rural Le Sueur County when the home where she was house-sitting exploded and then collapsed in a fire, authorities said.

LE SUEUR COUNTY (FOX 9) - A 20-year-old woman died late Saturday in rural Le Sueur County when the home where she was house-sitting exploded and then collapsed in a fire, authorities said.

Deputies and firefighters responded to a report of an explosion and a fire at 11:30 p.m. on 211th Avenue in Le Center, which is in Lexington Township, about six miles northeast of Le Center, according to a press release from the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office. Crews arrived to find that the home had collapsed from the explosion and was still burning, the release said.

The house explosion happened in a rural part of Le Sueur County.

Firefighters began putting out the flames and learned that the owner of the home and his family were traveling, but a 20-year-old woman had been staying at the residence, house-sitting and taking care of the dogs, the release said.

Firefighters found the body of a woman in the basement. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct the autopsy and confirm her identity. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.