Off-duty volunteer firefighter rescues 2 men from house fire in northeastern Minnesota

An off-duty volunteer firefighter rescued two men from a house fire in Rice Lake, Minnesota early Tuesday morning. (FOX 21 Duluth / FOX 9)

An off-duty firefighter rescued two men from a burning house in northeastern Minnesota early Tuesday morning. 

The fire occurred around 6:30 a.m. at a house on the 3900 block of Martin Road in Rice Lake. 

According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, Ryan Linn, a Duluth resident, was on his way to work when he noticed flames coming from the house. Linn, who is also a volunteer firefighter for Normanna Township, stopped to make sure everyone was out of the house. 

Linn found one of the residents outside the burning house, but learned two more men were still inside. One of the men was just inside the doorway and Linn quickly pulled him to safety. 

Linn then went back inside the home and located the third man, who was a double leg amputee, and carried him to safety. 

“Linn’s bravery and quick actions undoubtedly saved the lives of one if not both of the men that were still in the residence when he stopped,” the sheriff’s office said. 

The two men from the house and Linn were all taken to nearby hospitals to be treated for smoke inhalation, but are expected to make full recoveries. 

The sheriff’s office said portable propane heaters that were being used to heat the house are the likely cause of the fire, as they were not intended to indoor use. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

The house has been deemed a total loss.