Victims of 2 Minneapolis house fires succumb to injuries

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis fire officials say two victims injured in separate fires earlier this month have died from their injuries. 

A contractor who was seriously injured from a fire and reported explosion at a triplex in Minneapolis on June 15 died from his injuries. The other victim was a 79-year-old man rescued from a house fire on the 3500 block of Holmes Avenue on June 9 and was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

The Minneapolis Fire Department said their deaths mark the city's 7th and 8th fire fatalities in 2023. 

Last year, Minnesota had the highest number of fire fatalities since 1995. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety released its annual report on June 15, stating 70 people died in fires in 2022. 

"The data paints a tragic picture that forever impacts the lives of the loved ones left behind," Interim State Fire Marshal Amanda Swenson said in a release. "People think of a fire death as someone trapped in a burning that accidentally ignited, but they can occur under a variety of circumstances."

DPS said careless driving, mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness were among the factor that contributed to the rise in fire deaths.