A house fire late Thursday just outside Mountain Pine left a teenage student dead and her sister injured, authorities said.
One of the victims was in high school and the other in elementary school, according to a statement from the Mountain Pine School District.
The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs, citing information from Garland County authorities, identified the victim killed as 18-year-old Tiffany Zielinski.
Zielinski, a student at Mountain Pine High School, died while attempting to save her 12-year-old sister, who was injured in the fire, according to the newspaper. The sister's identity was not immediately available.
The Piney Volunteer Fire Department responded around 10 p.m. to a residence on Mountain Pine Road, spokesman Lt. Denise Henderson said.
The Sentinel-Record identified that home as being in the 3700 block of the road.
Also responding to the blaze were the Mountain Pine Volunteer Fire Department, the Garland County sheriff’s office and LifeNet, the newspaper reported.
Video footage taken by the Sentinel-Record at the scene showed several fire trucks and emergency personnel at the scene.
Henderson noted that the address was just outside city limits in a rural area north of the town of about 775 residents.
The Mountain Pine district said prayers and support are needed for the community.
“Our administration held an assembly this morning at school, and counselors and local pastors are on hand to help grieving students and teachers,” the statement read in part.
District officials declined to provide additional information Friday morning regarding the deadly house fire.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.