House Fire Death

A man died Friday morning in a house fire in rural Clay County after a sheriff’s deputy was unable to reach him due to heavy smoke. Emergency crews were called to 21148 160th Avenue North around 10:14 a.m. Dispatchers told responders an adult male was trapped inside and couldn’t get out. A Clay County Sheriff’s deputy arrived first and entered the home to search for the man. The deputy had to leave quickly because of thick smoke. Firefighters from the Ulen Fire Department found the man’s body in a bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. Multiple agencies assisted, including the Minnesota State Patrol, Hitterdal Fire, Sanford Ambulance, Sanford Airmed, Salvation Army, and the Red River Regional Dispatch Center.