April 5, 2008
A fire at a two-story structure at 1415 8th St. East in Menomonie this morning claimed the lives of three University of Wisconsin-Stout students.
The call was received by the city-county dispatch at 3:32 a.m., Saturday. City of Menomonie police officers responded and the first Fire Department unit responded at 3:37 a.m.
Moderate smoke was showing from the basement, first floor and second floor. The rear unit was evacuated and an attack was made for search and suppression of the front unit.
During the search of the front unit, the three victims, two females and a male, were located in second floor bedrooms. Resuscitation was attempted and they were taken to the Red Cedar Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.
One female victim was from Chaska, Minn. The second female victim was from West St. Paul, Minn. The male victim was from Hayward.
An investigation by the Menomonie Fire and Rescue Department, the Menomonie Police Department and a state fire investigator will attempt to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
There will be a news conference at 1 p.m., Saturday, at the Menomonie Leisure Services Center, 1412 6th St.
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