Watch CBS News

St. Thomas Student Killed In St. Paul Fire

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- A house fire left one person dead and three injured early Saturday morning in St. Paul, according to fire officials.

At around 3:15 a.m., St. Paul Fire responded to the fire at 1795 Selby Avenue. When they arrived, they found the front of the house on fire.

Steve Zaccard of the St. Paul Fire Department says that three people awoke to smoke detectors and jumped out of second-story windows. They were treated for smoke inhalation and taken to Regions Hospital, mostly for injuries from the fall. They're expected to be OK.

Firefighters tried to rescue a man sleeping on a couch on the ground floor, but he had already died. It isn't yet known why he didn't couldn't get out of the home. The University of St. Thomas said that victim was a student, and so were two of the other three people there. Saturday afternoon, Zaccard said identified the man who died as Michael Larson, 20, and said Larson had lived at the home.

St. Thomas held a vigil on the lower level of the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas  Saturday.

Zaccard said there is an estimated $120,000 in damage to the home and an additional $40,000 to things in the home.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Fire Chief Tim Butler offered their sympathies and condolences. This is the third fire death in the city this year.

WCCO-TV's Reg Chapman Reports

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.