House Explosion Northwest of Parkers Prairie Kills Resident

Overview

• Emergency crews responded to reports of a blast and house fire Tuesday morning and found the home fully engulfed when they arrived.
• Authorities later located one person dead inside the destroyed residence and identified her as 77-year-old Paulette Venzke who lived at the home.
• The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office said the scene remains active and has asked the public to avoid the area while investigators work.
• A Henning firefighter was hurt during the initial response but was treated at a hospital and released, and a household dog is missing and presumed dead.
• Officials do not suspect foul play and say the State Fire Marshal’s origin-and-cause probe could take days or weeks to produce conclusive findings.