1 dies in Scott fire that guts 2 homes

A 66-year-old man died after his house caught fire Sunday, according to the Lonoke County sheriff’s office.

Authorities haven’t released the identity of the man or two others in the home at the time - a 50-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man.

Just before 2:45 a.m., sheriff’s deputies were called to a house fire on Henson Lane in Scott and found the Scott, Keo and East Pulaski fire departments battling a blaze at a mobile home, deputies said in a news release. The mobile home, along with a nearby “camping trailer,” were completely engulfed in flames, deputies said.

The three people were inside the mobile home when the fire started, but the younger man and the woman had woken up to find the house full of smoke and fled, deputies said. The two also woke up the 58-year-old man who lived in the nearby camper, and the three then ran down the street, knocking on doors and asking neighbors to call 911, deputies said.

Fire officials later found the body of the 66-year-old man in the mobile home, authorities said. His body was taken to the state Crime Laboratory.

Authorities haven’t yet determined the cause or origin of the fire that destroyed both homes.

Arkansas, Pages 9 on 02/17/2014

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