Minnesota fire fatalities reach highest level since 2002

The Department of Public Safety's State Fire Marshal Division reported that 63 people died from fires in Minnesota in 2017, compared to 43 in 2016. It's the greatest total since 64 people died in fires in the state in 2002.

The leading cause of fire-related death in Minnesota last year was careless smoking (nine total) and having combustibles too close to a heat source (four). However, 19 of the 63 deaths came from fires in which the cause is unknown or not yet determined — including the deaths of four people in a house fire in Hibbing on Dec. 26. The cause of that fire is still under investigation.

The state's highest number of fire fatalities on record in a given year is 134 in 1976. The lowest is 35 back in 2009.

State Fire Marshal Bruce West said that the increase in 2017 is concerning because most fire deaths are preventable. He urged Minnesotans to keep taking fire prevention seriously.

"Fire is deadly, plain and simple," West said in a news release. "If people don't take the dangers of fire seriously and work to prevent a fire in their home, they could find themselves or their loved ones victims of the next tragedy."

The Department of Public Safety recommended several fire-safety steps, including testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly, staying near the stove while cooking and creating a fire escape plan for everyone in the home to follow. For more fire safety tips, visit dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm.