Police identify man killed in Independence garage fire

The Independence Police Department last week identified the man who died in a garage fire on New Year’s Eve.

In a press release issued Tuesday, police said the deceased was Kyle Klimek, 39, of Independence. Identification was made with assistance from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and the Trempealeau County Coroner’s Office.

As of late last week, neither the cause of the fire nor the cause of death had been determined. Independence Police Chief James Waniorek said both remain under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Fire Marshal and the Mayo Clinic. He added that no foul play is suspected.

The fire was reported at 8:27 p.m. Dec. 31 at 35543 Sixth St. in Independence. Firefighters from the Independence, Whitehall and Arcadia fire departments extinguished the blaze, after which a deceased male was found inside the structure.