Man, 47, dead in Minneapolis house fire; crews investigate

An investigation into a Saturday night house fire in which one person was found dead continues, the Minneapolis Fire Department reported Sunday.

Mike Klingelhoets, 47, died in the fire in the 4900 block of Logan Avenue N., said his father, Louis Klingelhoets, on Sunday.

He said smoke was coming from his son's bedroom when firefighters arrived at the scene shortly before 9 p.m.

At the scene, firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and rescued the victim. Firefighters provided initial treatment to Klingelhoets, then called for an ambulance. Death was attributed to smoke inhalation.

Klingelhoets was an avid fisherman and outdoorsman, his father said.

"This was all a surprise and shock to us," Louis Klingelhoets said.

A neighbor, Scott Krider, said that the victim worked on a fishing boat in Alaska for up to six months at a time.

He described Klingelhoets as soft-spoken, "a real nice guy, always cordial and friendly to me." The two weren't close friends, Krider added, but they would work together on Klingelhoets' bicycle.

"Every time I've spoken with him we had good conversations," Krider said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

STAFF REPORTS