Authorities ID victims of Minneapolis high-rise fire
Authorities have identified the fifth person who died in an apartment fire in Minneapolis.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner said 32-year-old Tyler Baron died of smoke inhalation after Wednesday morning’s fire in the public housing high-rise.
The four other victims were previously identified as 59-year-old Jerome Stewart, 67-year-old Nadifa Mohamud, 69-year-old Maryan Mohamed Mohamud and 78-year-old Amatalah Adam.
Three other people were injured in the fire, and a firefighter was treated for an exertion-related injury as crews climbed to battle the fire on the 14th floor of the 25-story building.
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The cause of the fire is still being investigated. Fire Chief John Fruetel told reporters Wednesday that investigators believe it was an accident.
Fruetel said the fire started in unit 1407 and had been burning for a while by the time firefighters arrived. He said at least two windows had been blown out and winds from Wednesday’s storm fueled the blaze.
Most of the building did not have a sprinkler system, and the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority said it wasn’t required to have sprinklers, due to its age.
An online fundraiser is underway to help those affected by the fire; it had raised more than $58,000 as of Friday morning.