House fire claims two victims

The Union County Sheriff’s Office has enlisted the help of a state arson investigator in the probe into a house fire that killed two people Tuesday afternoon.

Capt. Jeff Stinson, of the UCSO, said the bodies of the two victims have been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory in Little Rock to determine their identities and other details, including the cause and manner of death, surrounding the fire.

The fire occurred at 1600 Mount Willie Road, just north of Three Creeks.

The UCSO was called to the scene at approximately 12:34 p.m. The Three Creeks and Parkers Chapel volunteer fire departments responded to the scene to battle the blaze.

Additionally, the UCSO dispatched El Dorado Fire Marshal Jason Evans to the Mount Willie Road residence for assistance.

Evans said the house appeared to be a total loss, noting that the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire is ongoing.

Stinson made similar statements, adding, “Based on the condition of the bodies, we don’t have an ID for them yet. We had to send them to the (state) crime lab to determine their identities and let the state medical examiner determine if there was anything other than fire that killed.”

“There’s an incredible lack of detail right now until we can some of these things sorted out,” Stinson continued.

The UCSO called in an arson investigator with the Arkansas State Police to determine if the fire was deliberately set.

Stinson said the ASP investigator was expected to arrive onsite Wednesday morning.

He also said the state crime lab is expected to issue a preliminary autopsy report next week.