St. Louis County house fire leaves 1 dead, cause still under investigation

A fire in northeastern Minnesota on Aug. 18 led authorities to find a person dead inside a home once the blaze was contained.

What we know

On Aug. 18, around 11:35 p.m., the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and Proctor Fire Department were dispatched to a house fire on the 5300 block of Old Highway 61 in Midway Township. Several other departments responded to help contain the blaze, including the Hermantown Fire Department, Solway Fire Department, Esko Fire Department and the Air National Guard Fire Department.

After two hours of fighting the fire, a man was found dead in the living room once it was extinguished.

Authorities say the house will be considered a total loss, and no one else was found inside.

The State Fire Marshall says the fire does not appear to be suspicious at this time, but remains under investigation.

What we don’t know

The man found dead inside the home is believed to be the homeowner and lone resident, but a positive identification is still pending results from the medical examiner's office.