A 35-year-old paraplegic man apparently died as a result of a fire that consumed his mobile home, which was located just north of Birchmont Beach Road Northeast in Turtle River Township.
Ernest Wayne Declusin, the sole occupant of the mobile home, was found dead at the scene, according to a report from the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office.
The Beltrami County Sheriff's 911 Communications Center received an emergency call at 12:32 a.m. on Monday. Declusin's home at 8163 Long Lake Drive N.E. was engulfed in flames when authorities arrived, according to the report.
An autopsy will be conducted by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office, and the fire remains under investigation, according to the report.
Pending autopsy and fire investigation findings, Deputy State Fire Marshall Kevin Mahle declined to speculate on what may have caused the fatal blaze.
