Two Killed in Explosion at Duluth Area Housing Complex

Hermantown, MN (MinnesotaNow) - Two people were killed when an explosion ripped through a multiunit housing complex near Duluth on Saturday night.

The City of Hermantown says the community’s fire department and other emergency responders, including personnel from the Minnesota Air National Guard, were dispatched to the Green Acres complex around 6:20 p.m. Saturday. A news release says the fire that followed the explosion was contained to a single six-unit building, while the entire housing complex was evacuated.

The explosion and resulting fire claimed the lives of two elderly residents. Hermantown officials identified them as 89-year-old Gayle Wisnecki and 88-year-old Joan Wisnecki.

A news release on the deadly incident indicates the building where the explosion occurred is a total loss. Residents in buildings adjacent to the destroyed structure remained unsafe for occupancy as of Sunday evening, although the majority of residents in the complex had been allowed to return to their homes.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

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