2 people died in a mobile home explosion near Princeton before dawn that was heard more than 20 miles away

PRINCETON TOWNSHIP, MINN. — An explosion that rocked an occupied home north of Princeton, Minnesota, before dawn Tuesday and was heard more than 20 miles away killed two people, the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office said.

The explosion at the double-wide mobile home in the 8200 block of 52nd Street prompted several 911 calls just before 4 a.m., said Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Evenson.

Evenson said the “single-family home … appeared to have exploded, forming a large debris field that was partially engulfed in flames.”

He said people 23 miles from the scene reported being at the forefront of the explosion.

Evenson identified the deceased residents as Katherine A. Kreger, 61, and her husband, Royce E. Kreger Jr, 60.

The property owner told the Star Tribune that he rented it to a “very, very dear friend of mine and his wife.”

Stuart Bryan, who lives in Buffalo, Minnesota, said as he drove to the scene late Tuesday morning that he has owned the house for about 15 years and has “never had a problem or a problem, and boom, it just goes away.” Air.” .”

A dog that also lived at the home did not survive, said Sheriff’s Office investigator James Gallion.

There was no preliminary information about what led to the explosion, which is currently under investigation by the state fire marshal’s office.

Evenson noticed that when officers arrived, a propane tank was shooting propane into the air.

Royce Krueger, who usually started work at 5 a.m., was found in the basement, possibly indicating he was searching for a smell, Evenson said.

The debris field was a good 100 by 100 meters in size, said Evenson, “a very large explosion area. There was a lot of strength.” The cleanup was a “big project,” he added.

“This is mass destruction,” Evenson said, adding that “this is the largest explosion I have seen in his 20 years.”

The site of the explosion was at the end of a long dirt road, where debris was spread over a wide area. Pink insulation and pieces of wood stuck to the tree branches.

A black metal frame was all that resembled home. About 10 meters away there was another garage-like building whose door had collapsed.

“As you can probably tell, it’s a mess,” Gallion said.