Neighbors rushed to help woman who died in Rochester house fire

ROCHESTER — A neighbor of the Rochester woman who died in a house fire on Monday night said many rushed to her assistance when they saw the woman standing outside as flames engulfed her home. Before 11 p.m.

on March 31, the Rochester Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire at 2220 49th St. NW. Callers informed dispatch they heard an explosion.



ADVERTISEMENT One of the callers, Zoey Still, who lives in a neighboring home, said her dogs started barking nonstop Monday night. “All of a sudden, there was a big boom,” Still told the Post Bulletin. Still went onto her deck when she saw that the home of her neighbor, Patti Spitzack-Havlish, had erupted into flames.

Olmsted County property records listed Spitzack-Havlish as the homeowner. Other neighbors ran to Spitzack-Havlish’s assistance when they saw she had made it outside of the house, Still said. Another neighbor helped extinguish the flames on the woman’s back.

When firefighters arrived on scene, the home was still on fire and the homeowner was sitting near the street. She was moved into a Mayo Clinic Ambulance where she died on scene, the RFD report said. “She was very, very sweet,” Still said.

“She’s such a sweet lady.” Still used to play with Spitzack-Havlish’s grandchildren when they were younger. Still said every time she went over to her neighbor’s home, she always received a frozen treat of ice cream or a popsicle.

ADVERTISEMENT Spitzack-Havlish was known by her neighbors for always waving while driving through the neighborhood, Still said. “That was so heartbreaking, especially knowing she’s been there for so many years,” Still said. No other individuals were found inside the home; however, neighbors said she had a black-and-white cat.

The State Fire Marshal is investigating the fire, which is standard protocol when a fire fatality occurs, RFD’s Emergency Services Manager Brett Knapp said. The Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office has not released the woman’s cause of death as of Tuesday afternoon, April 1..