Saturday fire in Cottonwood County results in man's death

A man died Saturday as the result of a fire in rural Westbrook, according to a press release from the Cottonwood County Sheriff's Office.

The release said a 911 call reporting a structure fire at a rural Westbrook address was received at 3:04 p.m. Saturday. The caller stated that she was in the house and her son and father were in the garage when they heard an explosion in the shop. The adult male then ran into the shop and didn't come back out. The Westbrook Fire Department and Ambulance were dispatched to the scene.

When first responders arrived at the scene, the shop was fully engulfed, and firefighters were unable to make entry into the building. The fire department requested mutual aid from surrounding fire departments. The individual was later located in the shop and was identified as Lance Richard Larson, 36. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Also assisting at the scene were the Storden Fire Department and First Responders, the Fulda and Dovray Fire Departments, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal. The incident remains under investigation.