Weekend Mpls. fire victim identified

The 45-year-old woman died of smoke inhalation when her home burned early Saturday, authorities said.

July 31, 2012 at 2:37AM
Jennifer Soumountha
Jennifer Soumountha (Stan Schmidt/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The 45-year-old woman who died in a south Minneapolis house fire early Saturday has been identified.

Jennifer Soumountha died of smoke inhalation when the 2 1/2-story house that she was renting with her family caught fire at around 4:30 a.m., according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office.

Four others were taken to the hospital for treatment from the fire, which started on the porch and quickly engulfed the 112-year-old house.

The Minneapolis Fire Department said Monday that the cause of the fire has not been determined and remains under investigation.

According to property records, the owner of the house, Cy Ratsamy, who runs the nearby New Orient Market, did not have a license to rent the house out.

NICOLE NORFLEET

about the writer

about the writer

Nicole Norfleet

Night Editor

In the fall of 2024, Nicole transitioned from reporter to night editor. She is one of the team leaders of the Today desk. Previously, she worked as a business reporter covering beats like the retail industry and commercial real estate. In 2022, she and Jeffrey Meitrodt were named Pulitzer Prize investigative reporting finalists for "Unsettled."

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