2 bodies pulled from rubble of Amish home fire in Minnesota

Published 9:17 am Tuesday, January 12, 2016

CANTON (AP) — Authorities pulled two bodies Monday from the rubble of an Amish house fire in southeastern Minnesota in which three other people were hurt.

The bodies, recovered in the afternoon, were taken to the coroner’s office for identification, Fillmore County Sheriff Tom Kaase said. Neighbors gathered at the property Monday morning and said the home is owned by a bishop of the local Amish community.

Authorities said two people were taken to Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A man was treated and released, and a woman is expected to be released Tuesday, Kaase said. A family member was evaluated at the scene and then went to hospital, where he was treated for a non life-threatening injury and released, the sheriff said.

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Authorities have not released the names of anyone involved.

A passer-by reported the fire just after 1 a.m. Monday at the home a mile north of Canton, Kaase said. The main home was destroyed and another home was damaged.

Kaase said the Minnesota Fire Marshal’s office will investigate the cause of the fire, but said “with this type of home, usually the only source of heat” is a wood-burning stove.

Members of the Amish community came from miles around, with at least a dozen buggies lining the road. A sawmill on the property was turned into a gathering spot for the Amish who came to support the families.

“It’s heartbreaking, not only for the immediate family, but for the whole community,” said Eli Hershberger, a neighbor.

Firefighters from Canton, Harmony and Mable worked to fight the fire in the bitter cold.