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HOUSE FIRE LEAVES ONE INJURED

By Erin France/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Friday, October 23, 2009 11:35 PM CDT

A Pine Bluff woman was burned after her house caught on fire and exploded abut 2 p.m. Friday.

A Pine Bluff firefighter works on extinguishing the flames consuming a duplex at 5105/5107 Jones Street Thursday afternoon in Dollarway. Pine Bluff Commercial/Ralph Fitzgerald

Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services Department Lt. Shauwn Howell said the victim was transferred to the burn unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock Friday.

The duplex at 5107 W. Jones St. was rented by Frances Howard, also known as La Roue, according to the landlord Kathie Horn.

She had lived in the apartment for about three years, Horn said.

The resident of the attached second apartment of the duplex, 5105 W. Jones St., managed to escape but left behind his shoes and one of his dogs, she said.

“He’s lost everything,” Horn said. “He got out with the clothes he had on and his cell phone.”

Horn said the renter at 5105 W. Jones St., had lived there for about 15 years and had just finished renovating his home.

“He had all new furniture,” she said.

A few neighbors said they saw smoke rising from the structure’s roof before the explosion.

“That whole thing just blew up,” one man said. “It raised the house up.”

Neighbors said they saw Howard lying on the street.

“She just had on her bra and panties and she was on fire,” the man said.

Another neighbor took a robe and covered Howard before the ambulance carried her away.

William Griffin Jr., said he saw her on the street and rushed to help.

“She’s badly burned,” he said.

Griffin said he knew Howard had cancer and owned an oxygen tank.

He added that she smoked.

Howell said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Nearby Dollarway High School was evacuated soon after the explosion was heard, said principal Michael Anthony.

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