House fire kills one in St. Paul's North End

One person and two pets are dead after a house fire overnight in St. Paul's North End neighborhood Wednesday.

Fire Department spokesperson Roy Mokosso said a 911 caller walking by the 1000 block of Western Av. N. reported seeing smoke coming from a nearby home's window at around 12:37 a.m. Fire crews arrived and entered the home, finding one victim inside.

The victim was brought to the front yard where crews attempted resuscitation. Paramedics took the victim to a local hospital where the person was later pronounced dead.

Two pets were also found deceased in the home. A third pet escaped when firefighters entered.

Crews extinguished the fire and remained at the scene for more than three hours, reporting no further injuries.

The victim's name and cause of death are expected to be released after the county medical examiner's autopsy. This marks the first fire death in St. Paul for 2023.