FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A large fire at a Fayetteville townhome claimed the lives of two pets and sent one person to the hospital Tuesday (June 15) morning.
The fire started just after 8:00 a.m. at The Village off south Shiloh Drive.
The townhome where the fire started took significant damage from the smoke and flames.
People who live nearby told 5NEWS they could hear smoke detectors going off as fire trucks rushed to the scene.
All four people who were asleep inside the apartment were able to make it out of the home. One of them was sent to the hospital with minor burns and smoke inhalation and has since been released.
Fire crews battle fire at 'The Village' in Fayetteville
Neighbors say one dog and one cat died in the fire.
The Fayetteville Fire Department says it quickly became a three-alarm fire and crews from Springdale assisted with putting out the flames. Fire Marshal Battalion Chief Jermey Ashely says one firefighter did have a heat-related injury from the fire. He expects crews to be on the scene for hours to come.
“We have not been able to access all the damage yet. We know that there was heavy fire on the first floor extending up to the second and third floors. We have not been able to determine the cause or origin yet, that is still an investigation in process," he said.
The fire is still under investigation. The Fayetteville fire chief says they still believe it started in the garage, and that their investigation led them to look into certain vehicle recalls to see if it could have anything to do with the origin of the fire.
Check back for updates to this developing story.