One Dead Following a House Explosion and Fire in South St. Paul
Updated 5:45 PM on November 30, 2023
SOUTH ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - Around 6:18 AM on Thursday, November 30, 2023, the South Metro Fire Department was dispatched to a home at 1221 9th Avenue South in South St Paul, Minnesota, after several reports came in for a home that exploded.
This call was quickly upgraded to a second alarm as responding units reported seeing a glow on the horizon. The upgrade to the second alarm brought mutual aid from the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department and Mendota Heights Fire Department. The first units arrived around 6:24 AM and confirmed that the house was fully engulfed with the garage, the only portion of the home still standing. Initial reports said as many as three people were suspected of still being in the home.
According to fire officials, they quickly got the fire knocked down, with neighboring structures only showing minimal damage. Fire officials confirmed that they did find one person confirmed deceased. Our reporter on scene reports it appears they were found in the garage. Fire officials spent the day searching the home and even brought in a cadaver dog, but no other victims were found in the home. According to neighbors, the residents of the home included a son and his mother, the homeowner, who was wheelchair-bound. Unofficial sources state she was out of town at the time of the incident.
The official cause of the explosion and fire is still not known, but officials have said they did not find a gas leak at the home. Excel Energy, the State Fire Marshall's Office, South St Paul Police, and agents with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Agency (ATF) were all on the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.
