2-year-old child killed in Sunday house fire north of Detroit Lakes

A 2-year-old boy was killed early Sunday morning in a house fire about 9 miles northeast of Detroit Lakes.

The fire was reported by 911 call at around 12:46 a.m. Sunday, May 24, at 23096 Duffney Road, according to a Becker County Sheriff’s Office news release issued Sunday. The initial report said two people were trapped in the house.

The homeowners are Michael, 48, and Melissa, 46, Hedlund, according to a Monday, May 25, sheriff's release.

Upon arriving, the house was “fully engulfed,” and one child was unaccounted for, according to the release.

The sheriff’s office says that children in the basement were alerted by smoke alarms going off. When they got to the main floor, they saw flames and went to alert other family members, according to the release. A stairway leading to upstairs bedrooms was blocked by flames.

The children’s parents, Michael and Melissa Hedlund, were able to exit through a second-floor window, according to the release. After learning the 2-year-old was unaccounted for, the child’s father and older brother went back into the home, but were unable because of the fire, according to the release.

Micah Hedlund, age 2, was killed in the fire, according to a Monday, May 25, sheriff's office release.

Other injuries included:

• An adult male who was airlifted to a Fargo hospital for smoke inhalation.

• An adult female and 5-year-old female both airlifted to a Minneapolis hospital for smoke inhalation and burns.

The severity of the injuries are unknown at this time, according to the sheriff’s office release.
Firefighters from Callaway responded to the scene, along with fire departments from Detroit Lakes, Frazee and Audubon. St. Mary’s EMS, Detroit Lakes police and the Minnesota State Patrol also assisted.

The state Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting with the ongoing investigation.

A GoFundMe page was created for the Hedlund family by Brianna Hoffner of Rochert, according to the page. The $20,000 goal "will be used for funeral costs, medical bills, as well as getting back on their feet," according to the page. More than $11,000 was raised by 2:30 p.m. Monday.

Find the page at www.gofundme.com/f/20l38awwc0 .