Woman Dead After Explosion, House Fire in Rochester

Apr 1

Written By MN CRIME

The scene of a fatal house fire in Rochester on Monday evening. via Rochester Fire Department

The scene of a fatal house fire in Rochester on Monday evening. via Rochester Fire Department

An explosion and fire at a Rochester residence left a woman dead late Monday night.

Emergency crews were dispatched shortly before 11 p.m. on March 31 for multiple reports of a structure fire on the 2200 block of 49th Street Northwest in Rochester.

Callers also reported hearing a loud noise resembling an explosion. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy flames visible on three sides of the home and located a woman outside lying near the street.

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Medical personnel with Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service began treating the victim as firefighters initiated an exterior attack on the blaze. Due to concerns about the structural safety of the home’s main floor, crews delayed their entry until it was deemed safe to enter. After completing a thorough interior search, no additional occupants were found and the fire was fully extinguished.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Her identity and cause of death have not yet been released.

The residence sustained extensive fire damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with assistance from the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Rochester Fire Department's Fire Marshal Division.

UPDATE | Thursday, April 3

The Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victim of the fatal fire as 69-year-old Patricia Lynn Spitzack-Havlish.

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