Man dies in St. Paul Cook Ave. house fire; 4 displaced, space heater near origin
Crews responding about 12:44 a.m. to the 400 block of Cook Ave. E. in St. Paul found heavy fire on the porch and first-floor interior and later extracted a man from a second‑floor bathroom who was in cardiac arrest and later pronounced dead at the hospital. Three men and one woman were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross; investigators found a space heater near the fire’s origin, the cause remains under investigation, the death has not been officially ruled a fire fatality, and the city has scheduled a briefing at 2 p.m. at Fire Station 7.
📌 Key Facts
- Crews responded at about 12:44 a.m. to a house fire in the 400 block of Cook Ave. East in St. Paul.
- Firefighters found heavy fire on the porch and the first-floor interior upon arrival.
- A man was extracted from a second-floor bathroom, was in cardiac arrest en route, and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
- Three men and one woman were displaced by the fire; the Red Cross is assisting them.
- Investigators found a space heater near where the fire started; the cause remains under investigation and the death will not be officially ruled a fire fatality until investigations conclude.
- St. Paul has reported five fire fatalities so far in 2025.
- A news conference about the incident is scheduled for 2 p.m. at St. Paul Fire Station 7.
📊 Relevant Data
Space heaters account for nearly nine out of ten deaths (approximately 90%) in home fires caused by heating equipment.
Home Heating Fires report — NFPA
The death rate due to exposure to smoke in fire was 12.4 deaths per million population in communities with 20% or more of the population below the poverty line, compared to 2.6 deaths per million in communities with less than 5% below the poverty line.
Poverty & Fire Risk — NFPA
In Minnesota, the crude death rate for accidents (unintentional injuries) in 2020 was 193.4 per 100,000 for American Indian, Non-Hispanic residents, compared to 61.1 for White, Non-Hispanic residents.
2020 Minnesota health statistics: Annual summary — Minnesota Department of Health
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Dispatch/time and location: crews responded at about 12:44 a.m. to the 400 block of Cook Ave. East.
- Fire conditions: heavy fire on the porch and first-floor interior upon arrival.
- Rescue details: victim extracted from a second-floor bathroom; in cardiac arrest en route and pronounced dead at the hospital.
- Displacements: three men and one woman displaced; Red Cross assisting.
- Investigative note: a space heater was found near where the fire started; cause remains under investigation.
- Context: St. Paul reports five fire fatalities so far in 2025; death not officially ruled a fire fatality until investigations conclude.
- City briefing: news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. at St. Paul Fire Station 7.