A beloved elderly North Dakota couple died in 'difficult to fight' house fire
Garnet Blouin, 91, and wife Jean Bloudin, 88, died in the home they lived in for decades
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FARGO, N.D. — Officials have identified the two people who died in a house fire in Fargo last week.
Ninety-one-year-old Garnet Blouin and his 88-year-old wife, Jean Bloudin, died when the fire started in a home where they had lived for decades.
Neighbor Lois Ellingson tells KVLY-TV that she's known the couple for more than 30 years and says they were inseparable.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Salt and pepper. You never saw one without the other. They were such a great couple together. They were so sweet," Ellingson said.
Ellingson says they were active in the community.
"They were here. They had rental properties. They were landlords. They’re someone who has lived here and knows the history of the block and watched it grow and change and morph. They saw families come and go," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fire officials say it was a difficult one to fight.
"When the content was blocking paths, it made it difficult to get in the house. So we had to use other means like windows and doors, that type of stuff," says Fargo Fire Marshal Ryan Erickson.
Two firefighters fell into a hole in the floor of the house but were able to get out. The home also partially collapsed, which slowed down the search inside.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The body of Jean Blouin was discovered in the home. Garnet Blouin died at a hospital.
"It’s so hard, but they’re together. I can’t picture them being apart. I don’t think one would have wanted to survive without the other," Ellingson said.