An early morning fire in the two-story dwelling at 1795 Selby Ave. claimed the life of 20-year-old Michael Larson.
He was a student at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The funeral will be held on the school’s campus, where his pals remembered him as a lover of sports and lazy Sundays.
Firefighters arrived within minutes of the alarm to find the entire house in flames. Three occupants who were asleep on the second floor heard smoke detectors and jumped out of egress windows. Firefighters beat down the flames on the first floor to rescue Mike, who had been sleeping on the couch.
St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard said Monday that the cause of the fire is still under investigation. It apparently began Saturday in the enclosed porch and engulfed the house. The fire was reported about 3 a.m. Zaccard has said that arson is not suspected, and that the smoke detectors were working.
Friend and roommate Cameron Cochran, who was home at the time, described the 20-year-old from Woodbury as “a guy you could never find in a bad mood.” Larson, whom friends called by the nickname “Carson,” loved sports. For his 20th birthday this summer, Larson and some friends played a game of pick-up baseball at a nearby park.
St. Thomas is working to help Larson’s roommates find temporary housing.
