Hot Springs firefighters spray the front corner of a house in the 300 block of Alcorn Street on Friday. Authorities said the body of a 5-year-old boy was found in the home. According to a Hot Springs police officer at the scene, the 5-year-old boy was still in the back of the house at the time of the fire. (Photo courtesy of Hot Springs Sentinel-Record via Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
HOT SPRINGS – The body of a 5-year-old boy was found in a burning home in the 300 block of Alcorn Street on Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The Hot Springs Fire Department responded to the house fire at around 3 p.m. and extinguished the blaze at around 4 p.m.
According to a Hot Springs police officer at the scene, the 5-year-old boy was still in the back of the house at the time of the fire. A 32-year-old woman also reportedly suffered burns to the right side of her face in the fire.
“This is too much,” said Katy Boone, who first called 911 before trying to enter the home. “Screams woke me up out of a deep sleep. Those are screams that a mama knows.” As a crowd gathered in the street in front of the home, some went past yellow police line tape that had been stretched in front of the scene, as firefighters continued to spray the house. Some of those who made it past the tape were seen being escorted away from the scene by officers.
One of the bystanders, Ronnie Stringer, said he previously owned the house and is the great uncle of the child.
In a news release Friday evening, the Hot Springs Police Department said the fire department was investigating the fire, and police were helping with the investigation.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI