Officials: Fatal St. Paul fire may have been sparked by smoking

One person is dead after a fire broke out in an apartment building in St. Paul, and now authorities are working to figure out how it started.

Fire crews were called just after 2:30 a.m. to the 400 block of Front Avenue in St. Paul for the fire in a four-unit apartment building.

At the scene, firefighters learned one man and possibly three children were trapped in the building. Inside, firefighters say they did find one victim inside who was rushed to the hospital but later pronounced dead. The age of that victim has not been released.

No other victims were found inside the building, firefighters say.

The fire department says this is the first fire death in St. Paul of 2020.

Investigators are now working to determine what sparked the blaze but say they suspect smoking might have played a role.

No other injuries were reported as a result of the fire.