MINNEWAUKAN, N.D.-Officials with the North Dakota Attorney General's Office and Benson County Sheriff's Department have released little information on a report of a fire where emergency responders found a now-deceased man.
The sheriff's office and State Fire Marshal's Office are investigating an early Monday morning house fire in rural Benson County, according to a report from KZZY Radio. The fire was reported about 7 a.m. by a bus driver, and the house's lone occupant was found lying between his house and mailbox, Sheriff Steven Rohrer told the Devils Lake-based radio station. The man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
It's unclear how the fire started, where exactly it happened, who the deceased man was or if there was any foul play suspected.
Dispatchers at the sheriff's office told the Herald that Rohrer was unavailable for comment Tuesday, and a deputy who contacted a Herald reporter on the fire said he could not provide much detail.
The Herald also contacted the Fire Marshal's Office to confirm the fire occurred and that the state was investigating but was referred to Liz Brocker, a spokeswoman for the state Attorney General's Office, which oversees the Fire Marshal's Office.
ADVERTISEMENT
Brocker declined to confirm the state fire marshal responded to a Monday house fire in Benson County, citing North Dakota Century Code that states "an investigation record of a fire department or a rural fire protection district is confidential until the investigation is closed and not referred for further criminal investigation or prosecution" or "is no longer active under section 44-04-18.7."
