Authorities identify man who died in Rosemount house fire
The man who died following a house fire in Rosemount this month has been identified.
Gene Allen Spurzem, 46, passed away at Hennepin County Medical Center on Friday, December 4, just two days after being pulled from the burning home.
According to a release from the Hennepin County medical examiner, Spurzem died of complications from injuries sustained in the fire.
The fire broke out in the basement of the home, where Spurzem was staying as a guest, around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 2, his GoFundMe page says. While the homeowners were able to escape, firefighters had to break in through a window to pull Spurzem out.
Having been found unresponsive, firefighters performed CPR on the man "for about 20 minutes until a slight pulse was found, and then performed another 10 minutes of CPR enroute to the hospital because his pulse was lost," according to the GoFundMe.
The page says he was estimated to have lost oxygen to his brain for about 30 minutes.
The fundraiser is seeking $250,000 to help Spurzem's family cover medical and funeral expenses. As of this writing, it's raised over $2,300 in donations. You can view the GoFundMe right here.
According to the fundraiser's organizers, Spurzem worked as a truck driver.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, which resulted in a total loss of the house.
Minnesota is entering the most dangerous time of the year where house fires are concerned; according to the State Fire Marshal, "most home fires occur in the winter" due to increased use of heaters.
