Cause of New Ulm fire remains mystery

Posted at 2:32 PM on July 6, 2011 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

By Alison Dirr

The fire that ripped through New Ulm's Bohemian Bed and Breakfast Saturday, killing six, has captivated the attention of southern Minnesota.

New Ulm Police Chief Myron Wieland told the Mankato Free Press the fire was the worst in the city in recent memory.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though local papers have reported that the blaze started on the porch in the front of the house.

The New Ulm Journal provided the most coverage, publishing blogs, articles, editorials and obituaries chronicling the lives of Bobbi Mcrea, the Bohemian's owner, and her two daughters who perished in the fire.

In an article Sunday, the Journal's Serra Muscatello wrote, "The city lost a landmark building in the fire that destroyed The Bohemian Bed & Breakfast on Saturday, but moreso, it lost an energetic, enthusiastic woman supporter of the city's history, tourism and the creative arts."

Although officials have not released the names of the six victim, friends and family confirmed the deaths of Mcrea and her daughters. Names of the other three victims have not been released.