April 15- A 51 year old Britt man is in custody in connection with a house fire in the Britt area. Four fire departments (Pike-Sandy-Britt, Mountain Iron, Cook, Embarrass) were dispatched to the fire around 12:15 in the 8600 block of Donnywood Circle. Firefighters contained the fire to a bedroom area, although the rest of the house had extensive smoke damage. No one was home at the time and no injuries were reported, however three cats perished in the blaze. St. Louis County Sheriff’s officials said in a news release that the homeowner was walking on a nearby road when he was spotted and questioned by a deputy sheriff who was responding to the fire. During the investigation, the homeowner reportedly made remarks related to the fire and was then was arrested for arson. He is being held in the St. Louis County Jail in Virginia and formal charges are pending. The Virginia Ambulance Service provided medical standby at the scene. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office and St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department are continuing their investigation into the incident.
