A Minneapolis house in which a woman died in a fire was not licensed as a rental property, according to a report from the Star-Tribune.
The south Minneapolis house that burned last week did not have an inspection for fire hazards, a city spokesman told the paper (http://bit.ly/TblbLb). Although it was not a legally recognized rental property, the victim and her family had been renting the house for about two years.
The 45-year-old female died July 28 when a fire broke out before dawn on the porch and spread to the rest of the house. Family members say she was overcome while trying to rescue others. City officials found out that the house was being rented out earlier this year and took a number of steps to bring the house into compliance, starting with having the owner obtain a rental license.
As part of its rental licensing program, the city inspects the property to make sure it is meeting fire and building codes.
The victim reportedly died trying to save her two-year-old grandson. She escaped with her 14-year-old daughter and husband but went back in to save the boy and his mother. Firefighters later rescued them from a third-floor window.
Read more about the situation and the incident at http://bit.ly/TblbLb.
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