UNDATED - The number of people killed in fires in Minnesota went up last year.

Preliminary figures released by the State Fire Marshal show a 31 percent increase over 2010.  There were 51 fire related deaths in 2011, compared to 39 the year before.  Just six fires accounted for 17 of those fatalities last year.

The state's all-time low fire-death figure was 25 in 2009, the high was 134 in 1976.

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