Man dies in south Minneapolis house fire

A man was killed in a house fire Friday afternoon in Minneapolis, and investigators were working to determine what started the fire.

Minneapolis firefighters responded shortly before 1 p.m. to reports of a fire at a two-story home at 4804 12th Av. S. They found heavy smoke coming from the first floor and chimney, firefighters said in a press release.

Authorities said crews had difficulty entering the home, locating the flames and laying down garden hoses because personal items and debris blocked the front and rear entrances.

Crews located the victim on the first floor and transported him. The man, who neighbors said lived alone and was around 80 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was inside, Assistant Fire Chief Melanie Rucker said.

The fire spread to all floors of the house and up to the roof, forcing crews to attack it from the exterior. A fire truck extended a ladder above the fire to spray water through a hole in the roof, and firefighters on the ground sprayed water through a second-story window.

Crews were still working to extinguish the fire as of 3:30 p.m. Authorities had not yet released the identity of the victim as of late Friday afternoon.