A former Arkansas police chief died Wednesday night in a house fire in Shannon Hills, authorities said.
Capt. William McCullar of the Shannon Hills Fire Department confirmed in a post on the department's Facebook page that 52-year-old Bobby Hale, the former Shannon Hills police chief, died in the fire.
"We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family in their darkest hour," McCullar wrote.
Firefighters from the Shannon Hills Fire Department and five other agencies responded to the structure fire on Charlotte Drive after the initial call came in about 9:20 p.m., a department official said.
Emergency personnel were told by 911 dispatch there was possibly a person trapped inside the residence, McCullar said. When officials arrived, they saw a heavy fire burning through the roof of the home and firefighters assessed the scene and searched the residence.
The cause of the fire and Hale's death are being investigated by Arkansas State Police, McCullar said.
Shannon Hills Mayor Mike Kemp offered his condolences in a Facebook post Thursday.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kim, and the rest of his family and loved ones as they endure this difficult time," the post read.
State Desk on 03/10/2017