The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the two men killed in a fire that engulfed a garage last weekend of St. Paul’s East Side.
St. Paul garage fire victims identified
Authorities say they believe the two men lived in the garage and that the Feb. 9 blaze began when a space heater was knocked over.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 15, 2025 at 7:23PM
Frank Allen Piele, 63, and David John Orlando, 39 were believed to be living in the detached structure in the 1800 block of Sims Avenue at the time of the Feb. 9 blaze, Fire Department investigators said.
Fire officials said they suspect the fire began when a space heater was accidentally knocked over and blocked the garage’s service door. Firefighters responding to a neighbor’s call just after noon found the garage in flames.
Improper heating is the leading cause of fatal fires in the cold weather, authorities said.
The deaths were St. Paul’s first fire fatalities of 2025. The city sees an average of two to three fire deaths each year.
Last year became among St. Paul’s deadliest for fire fatalities when four children died after house fire in early January. Investigators said an unattended candle apparently started that blaze.
The St. Paul Downtown Development Corp. will pool money from nonprofits, and government and corporate grants to jumpstart projects.
