Names released in fatal fire
On Sunday, August 1, at approximately 3:50 a.m., the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a house fire in Section 32 of Wadena Township. Upon the arrival of emergency personnel, a juvenile was located outside the residence with minor burns. Fire department personnel entered the residence and located two adults inside the house. They were removed from the residence, life-saving measures were performed but the efforts were unsuccessful. The two adults were pronounced deceased at the scene.
The adults were identified as Michael Black, 46, and Paula Black, 42, both of rural Wadena. The 13-year-old juvenile was transported to Tri-County Healthcare for treatment of his injuries and was released a short time later.
The scene is still under investigation by the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office, Wadena Fire Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Michael and Paula were transported to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.