Man dies 2 days after fire at in-home daycare in Moorhead
A 62-year-old man who was hospitalized following a house fire in Moorhead on July 20 has died.
Robert Blue died Wednesday at the hospital, the Moorhead Fire Department said on Thursday.
The fire department is investigating his cause of death, with the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office assisting in the investigation of the cause of the fire.
According to the fire department, a resident walking in the area noticed smoke at a home that was being used as a daycare at 710 12th St. N around 12:02 p.m. on July 20.
When officials arrived, they found smoke and fire in the kitchen on the second floor and Blue in "close proximity to the fire," a news release said. Firefighters rescued him from the home and began treating his life-threatening injuries before he was taken to the hospital.
On the first floor of the home is an in-home daycare provider, which was evacuated due to the fire on the second floor. There was no smoke or fire on the first floor, and no injuries to anyone involved with the daycare were reported.
The fire department says the damage from the fire was limited to the kitchen area on the second floor, with smoke and water damage also present on the second floor. There is also water damage to the first floor, so the daycare is closed and it's unknown when it will reopen.
"The home is currently being used solely as a daycare. No residents were displaced due to this fire," the fire department said.
Damage is estimated at $8,000.