Robert Merkling, 74, Littlefork, was killed Wednesday when a fire broke out around 6:30 p.m. at his welding shop in Littlefork. According to the Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office, the shop, 208 Cedar St., was fully engulfed in flames when deputies and the Littlefork Fire Department responded. Firefighters later located Merkling’s body inside the structure. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Fire Marshall’s Office.

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