Fire that killed 2 north of McGregor pinned on careless smoking

Careless smoking is being blamed for a residential fire that killed two occupants north of McGregor, Minn.

Also Friday, authorities identified the two victims from the March 31 blaze in Shamrock Township as Raymond Jackman, 80, and Sandra Lee Neumann, 69.

"There is suspicion of smoking and falling asleep on the couch," read a statement from the Aitkin County Sheriff's Office.

Preliminary autopsy results found that Jackman and Neumann, who alerted emergency personnel to the fire, died from smoke and soot inhalation.

Authorities did not specify which of the two whose smoking started the late-night blaze roughly 10 miles north of McGregor.