A Wednesday morning house fire just north of Mayflower near Lake Conway killed one person and four dogs, a news release from the Mayflower Fire Department states.
Mayflower firefighters responded around 6:04 a.m. to a report of a structure fire on Short Road off Brannon Landing and located a burning home, the release from Fire Marshal Chris Matthews states.
A passerby in the neighborhood reported the fire, and two of the home's residents returned home at around the same time fire crews showed up, the report states. They told firefighters that there was another resident unaccounted for and several dogs.
Structural collapse and heavy fire slowed an interior search by firefighters, who found one person and four dogs dead inside, the release states. It did not identify the person.
Mayflower fire officials contacted the Arkansas State Police for assistance in determining the cause of the fire, the release states.
Firefighters did not see any smoke alarms in the home, the release states, and Matthews in the statement encouraged people to ensure they have functioning smoke alarms in their homes. Mayflower fire personnel will assist people with proper installation and provide smoke alarms for people who cannot afford them, he wrote.