A man described as elderly apparently died in a house fire Thursday afternoon, according to the Pine Bluff Fire Department.
About 2 p.m., fire crews went to 5616 W. Cheatham Ave. in response to a residential house fire. When fire crews arrived, there was heavy smoke and flames coming from the house.
When crews were notified that someone might still be in the house, firefighters made quick entry into the structure and began searching for anyone still inside. During the search, they found one person who had died as well as several animals that had also succumbed to the blaze, officials said.
The Pine Bluff Crime Scene Unit, the fire marshal and the coroner were called to the scene. The body was transported to the Arkansas Crime Lab to determine the cause of death and to make positive identification of the deceased.
The house, which was rented, sustained heavy fire damage, according to Chief Shauwn Howell, and, while he did not call the structure a total loss, he said repairs would be expensive. A preliminary investigation did not indicate that the fire was intentionally started, according to a press release. The cause of the fire is undetermined and under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Division.
Howell said no one else was inside the house when it burned, but that several family members who lived in the house, including the dead person’s spouse, showed up as firefighters were on the scene. The Red Cross was notified to assist those displaced occupants.
Animal control personnel were also called to the scene to gather up the dogs and cats that were apparently living in or around the house, Howell said.