Space heater likely cause of double fatal St. Paul garage fire

Two people are dead after a garage fire in St. Paul on Sunday afternoon.

Crews from the St. Paul Fire Department (SPFD) were called to the 1800 block of Sims Avenue around 12:15 p.m. on a report that a detached garage was fully engulfed in flames.

Crews extinguished the fire and found two people dead in the garage. Authorities say the victims were living in the garage at the time of the fire.

They were identified Thursday as David John Orlando, 39, and Frank Allen Piele, 63.

An initial investigation indicated the fire likely started when a space heater was accidentally knocked over.

“Heavy fire load and heavy fire conditions” seemed to have blocked the garage’s service door exit, which contributed to the fire, according to a press release from SPFD.

This marks the first two fire deaths for 2025 in St. Paul. On average, two to three people die as a result of a fire annually in the city.

The occupants of the home have been temporarily moved by authorities.

The official cause of the fire is still under investigation.