By Laura Gossman
The Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
LANESBORO, Minn. — One of the first firefighters on the scene of a fatal house fire Thursday morning in Lanesboro was the son of the 78-year-old woman who died in the blaze.
Lanesboro Fire Chief Andy Drake said Jim Iverson, a firefighter, lives about a block away from his mother, Alice Iverson, and was able to see the fire from his home when his pager went off. He raced there and tried to save her, but was unable because the blaze was too far along.
“He tried to kick the front door in, because it was locked,” Drake said. “He tried to save her, but there was just too much smoke.”
Fillmore County Sheriff Daryl Jensen said a neighbor reported the fire at 3:40 a.m.
The cause of the fire is unknown but the state fire marshal, who was at the scene Thursday morning, suspects an electrical problem started the fire.
Thursday afternoon, two men boarded up the heavily damaged right side of the house.
Drake said the Preston Fire Department was also called for mutual aid, because the home was so close to a neighboring house.
“Obviously, this is really hard for the family,” Drake said. “Iverson lost his dad earlier this year and now he’s lost his mother.”
Drake said he knew the family because his own father had been on the fire department with Iverson’s father Lynn.
“It’s a small town,” Drake said. “We’ll get through it together.”