An elderly couple died Tuesday evening after their house caught fire in east Little Rock, a fire department spokesman said.
Little Rock Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jason Weaver said firefighters responded to a call about flames emitting from the roof of a structure around 6:15 p.m. at 723 Apperson St.
When firefighters arrived, they knocked down the front door and found an elderly woman lying on the floor in the front room of the building, Weaver said. They carried her out into the front yard and began rendering first aid, the spokesman said. Firefighters also found an elderly man in the residence, he said.
Authorities said both people were pronounced dead on scene.
Although the fire's cause was not immediately clear, Weaver said the flames seemed to primarily affect the living room and only about 20 percent of the house was burned.
The coroner will determine cause of death, but Weaver said there were burns on the bodies as well as a high likelihood of smoke inhalation. Because no one witnessed the deaths, the Little Rock Police Department will conduct an investigation, Weaver said.
Fire marshals were readying to enter the house to determine the cause of the fire as of 8 p.m.