Elderly Man is Lakeville's First Fire Fatality in 20 Years

says the death of an elderly man who suffered burns in a house fire earlier this month is the first fire-related fatality the city has seen in 20 years.

Arthur Raymond Jones, 84, died on March 25, the Hennepin County Medical Center said in a statement, more than three weeks after he was admitted to the hospital with severe burns to his legs.

originally responded to Jones' home along Kalmar Trail on March 4 after a neighbor had called police to perform a welfare check. When officers arrived, the found a fire had occurred in the home, and Jones was unconscious on the floor with burns to his legs.

It's not clear how many days, if any, had passed from the time of the fire until officers were called. Both Lakeville's police and fire departments are investigating, and no foul play is suspected at this time.

will follow the story.

Be sure to follow Lakeville Patch on Twitter, "Like" us on Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter, which sends you updates about stories, breaking news, announcements, events and blogs on our site.