Authorities have identified the man who died in a fire that destroyed his home in rural northeastern Anoka County.
Thomas John Harris, 60, died of smoke inhalation, according to the Anoka County medical examiner's office.
The two-story house caught fire early Wednesday on a wooded 10-acre plot in Linwood Township, west of Stacy.
While authorities have yet to say what started the fire, the medical examiner has ruled that the blaze was accidental. Fire Chief Darryl Ballman said it appears that the blaze started in the back of the home.
Piles of newspapers, clothing and other items fed the fire that killed Harris, whom others in the community said they rarely saw. Neighbors said Harris kept mostly to himself.
PAUL WALSH
