Aitkin woman dies in house fire

A woman is dead following a house fire Monday evening in southwest Aitkin County, according to the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office.

When someone reported the fire just after 6:30 p.m., they said the fire was on one side of the home in Nordland Township. At the time, they weren’t sure if anyone was inside.

The home was engulfed in flames by the time responders arrived. Neighbors evacuated as firefighters began extinguishing the fire.

When sifting through the rubble, Aitkin County crews and the State Fire Marshal found the remains of a woman they later identified as 74-year-old Jacquelyn Willprecht of Aitkin.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.