Elderly Man Killed In Northern Minnesota House Fire

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A house fire that killed a 76-year-old northern Minnesota man is now under investigation.

According to the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, on Thursday at 3:39 a.m. neighbors reported hearing a loud explosion and a residence engulfed in flames on the 18200 block of Lookout Tower Road in Hines Township.

Emergency responders arrived and found the house fully engulfed in flames. Fire crews worked to suppress the fire, but the home was a total loss.

Investigators say the homeowner, 76-year-old Oscar Clark Eckstrom of Hines, perished in the fire.

Eckstrom's next of kin have been notified.

Details of how the fire began have not been released, and the investigation is ongoing.