ST. PAUL PARK, Minn. – Police said one person is dead after a houseboat fire in St. Paul Park.
It happened just before 2 a.m. Friday at Hidden Harbor Marina.
“It was quite large and unfortunately they couldn’t respond fast enough. It went up very quickly,” said Chief Jessica Danberg of the St. Paul Park Police Department.
WCCO
Video shows how intense the fire was. Witnesses said it went up without warning and spread from one houseboat to another. While some people escaped, neighbors said a man who had lived on the river for years did not survive.
“He was a fun-loving man, just like a lot of people here,” said Tim Kennedy, owner of Hidden Harbor Marina. “They get to know each other very well. Some of them have lived here for ten years.”
It took six fire brigades to extinguish the flames and a fire boat was brought in to help. As the sun rose, the aftermath was clearer to see. Charred remains of both boats remain. Police say the man’s body was recovered from the houseboat where the fire started.
‘The marina is a community in itself. They may be in St. Paul Park, but they are also part of their own community. I mean, they know each other, so I’m sure there are unfortunately friends this morning who will also suffer the loss when they determine who the victim was,” Danberg said.
The state fire marshal is investigating how the fire started. Authorities are waiting to release the man’s name until family members are notified.
Johannes Lauritsen
