2-year-old boy dead, 3 others injured in Becker County house fire

A 2-year-old boy died and three others were hospitalized in a house fire early Sunday morning in rural northwest Minnesota.

According to the Becker County Sheriff's Office, emergency personnel responded to a report of a house fire around 12:46 a.m. at 23096 Duffney Road, about 9 miles northeast of Detroit Lakes. The initial report indicated that two people were trapped inside.

Children in the basement heard a smoke alarm go off, and they saw fire on the main floor and went to alert other family members. A stairway leading upstairs was blocked, and the children's parents were able to escape through a window on the second floor.

The family realized a 2-year-old boy was unaccounted for, and the child's father and older brother went to search for him, but the house was fully engulfed in flame and they couldn't find him.

The 2-year-old was later found deceased.

A man was airlifted to a hospital in Fargo for smoke inhalation, and a woman and 5-year-old girl were airlifted to a hospital in Minneapolis to be treated for burns and smoke inhalation. The severity of their injuries is unknown.

On Monday, the Becker County Sheriff's Office identified the homeowners and parents as Michael Hedlund, 48, and Melissa Hedlund, 46. The child who was killed in the fire is identified as Micah Hedlund.

The Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office is assisting with the ongoing investigation of the fire.