HOT SPRINGS -- A fire Tuesday at Polo Run Apartments in Hot Springs started in the first-floor common area of one building of the complex and killed a man who was overcome by toxic fumes, Hot Springs police said Wednesday.
The man had yet to be identified Wednesday because of the extent of his injuries, Cpl. Kirk Zaner said.
"As he tried to escape, we believe he came down the stairs and was overcome by the toxic fumes in the common area, collapsed and subsequently died. His body was burned by the fire," Zaner said.
The blaze was still under investigation. "The fire marshal will determine whether it is arson or not. If it is determined that this is an arson fire, due to the death of this person, then it will become a criminal matter," Zaner said.
City inspectors have been to the apartment complex at 126 Manor Lane "probably 15 times" in the past three to five years and have found violations that included missing smoke detectors, Mike Scott, the city's chief building official and community development administrator, said Wednesday.
The violations also have included leaking roofs, bedbugs and plumbing issues -- "typical stuff with larger apartment complexes," he said.
"We were just there Monday with some plumbing issues that they had on one of the buildings. It's a constant battle there."
Scott said the complex consists of several different buildings. The building where the fatality occurred has been closed. Scott said that building's electrical service has been disconnected and won't be reconnected until "everything is clean and inspected and brought up to code in that one entire building."
The other buildings in the complex can still be occupied, Scott said, unless city inspectors find safety violations.
"We'll go through every apartment there and make sure they're all brought up to code. We'll just have to take our time. It might take several inspectors a week or so to go through every room. We'll have to go through every room and make sure the smoke detectors are in place; make sure the minimum living requirements are met," Scott said.
Hot Springs police received the call about the apartment fire at 5:37 p.m. Tuesday. Two officers arrived within 60 seconds, and the lower portion of the building was in flames, Zaner said.
By the time firefighters arrived, numerous residents were hanging out of the windows, Zaner said. "This is a three-story building. One woman did jump from the third story of the building and injured her leg in the fall," he said.
Two bystanders reportedly "climbed the wall like Spider-Man" using the pipes on the outside and helped people evacuate from second- and third-story windows, a witness told The Sentinel-Record on Tuesday night. Other residents were evacuated by firefighters.
The Red Cross reported that it was assisting five families directly affected by the fire. It was providing temporary lodging, food, clothing and personal care items, and offering referrals to The Salvation Army, Abilities Unlimited, and Jackson House for further assistance, a spokesman said.
Metro on 03/29/2018