A man who was killed in a late-night house fire in Columbia Heights has been identified.
Brian "Beany" Drews, 59, did not survive the blaze early Thursday at his home in the 4600 block of NE. 7th Street, a friend of the family said.
"Beany was a special person with his useless knowledge and his outrageous jokes," said Taylor Seawell, who has organized an online fundraising campaign to help the family with expenses related to the fire.
Fire personnel responded shortly before 1 a.m., entered the home and removed Drews from inside, the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said.
Emergency medical personnel took Drews to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead, according to the Sheriff's Office.
A dog and a pig also died from the blaze, the Sheriff's Office said.
Investigators have yet to make a preliminary determination of the fire's cause.
