Two men died in an accidental fire Sunday afternoon when a space heater tipped over and caught fire near the door leading out of a detached garage, blocking their escape, fire officials said.

The fire was reported about 12:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1800 block of Sims Avenue in St. Paul in a detached garage, said Jeremiah Melquist, assistant fire chief for the St. Paul Fire Department, who gave the following information about the fire.

One of the victims was the son of the house owner and lived in the garage off and on.

The other man who died has not yet been identified.

While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary information indicates that the fire was accidental and is believed to have been caused when one of two space heaters the men plugged in tipped over, igniting a blaze near the door and blocking their escape route.

The two deaths are the first two fire fatalities of 2025 in St. Paul.

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