Kitchen blaze at Arkansas apartment kills girl, 14

A 14-year-old girl died Friday morning in a blaze at an apartment complex in Forrest City, a Fire Department spokesman said.

The fire began in the kitchen after food that was cooking was left unattended, according to Forrest City Fire Marshal Jeremy Sharp.

The Fire Department was called to the Victoria Street residence shortly after 3:10 a.m. A woman standing outside with two children told firefighters that her 14-year-old daughter was still in the apartment, Sharp said.

"She hollered out for the kids," the fire marshal said. "The two youngest came down the stairs, but the oldest one, who was a fatality, always slept with the door closed."

Firefighters contained the fire within 45 minutes, and it did not spread to other apartments in the complex.

Sharp said the teen was a student at Forrest City High School. The Forrest City School District said in a statement posted on its website that she was in ninth grade.

Counselors and district staff would be available to assist students cope with the death of the student, the statement said.

State Desk on 11/11/2017

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