Father, daughter die in house fire

Members of Benton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Benton County fire marshal’s office search the rubble for clues to the source of the fire that destroyed a home and killed two people.
Members of Benton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Benton County fire marshal’s office search the rubble for clues to the source of the fire that destroyed a home and killed two people.

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Chevelle Rust

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James Rust

Chevelle, 5, and her father, James Rust, 30, died in a house fire Sunday morning. Her mother, Sybil Rust, and two siblings survived.

The residence at 16999 Green Ridge Road in Garfield was destroyed.

Firefighters from Pea Ridge, Northeast Benton County and Avoca Volunteer Fire Departments were dispatched about 7 a.m. Sunday after receiving a call from a resident of the house. They were on the scene for more than two hours.

Assistant Benton County fire marshal Eric Smith said he had not determined the cause of of the fire but said he was sure it was not a space heater.

A drizzling rain had begun to fall by 10:30 a.m. Sunday when Benton County Coroner Daniel Oxford and his staff arrived on the scene.

"She lit up a room," Katie Rhine, pre-kindergarten director at Pea Ridge Schools said sadly, remembering Chevelle Rust whose absence in school Monday elicited many questions from her former classmates.

"The Pea Ridge School community is deeply heartbroken and mourning the loss of one of our pre-k students, Chevelle Rust, and her father, Jimmy Rust," the Pea Ridge School District said. "We hold our students and their families in the highest regard, and our hearts and prayers go out to the Rust family.

"In times such as these we come together as a community in support. The district will be adding additional counseling resources to help meet the needs of the Rust Family, our students, staff, and community as we deal with the grief surrounding this tragic incident. Please keep the Rust Family in your thoughts and prayers."

The Benton County Sheriff's Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the circumstances of the fire.

NW News on 01/09/2018

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