Child dies in Highfill fire

HIGHFILL — A 6-year-old boy died in a mobile home fire Saturday morning at Highfill, fire and police officials said Sunday.

Hunter Garrett of 13889 Steward Road in Highfill, died in his bed, according to Will Hanna, Benton County fire marshal.

Four remaining family members, parents David and Kimberly Garrett and Alexis, 3, and Cody, 7, were all transported to the Northwest Arkansas Medical Center in Bentonville, where they were treated and released, according to law enforcement officers Sunday.

“It was a 16-by-60-foot mobile home, probably built sometime in the 1960s,” Hanna said. “Those things burn quickly.”

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, possibly caused by electrical problems, Hanna said Monday. Officials may never be certain what caused the fire, but the family said, during the investigation, that there were recent electrical problems in the mobile home.

The Criminal Investigation Division of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation of the death, Hanna said. Mike Sydoriak, head of the division, said the body of the child has been sent to the State Crime Lab for autopsy.

“As far as we can tell, the fire was accidental,” Sydoriak said. “The parents thought they had everyone out, and the father went back in for the child.”

Hanna said the father suffered burns to his lips and esophagus, consistentwith going back inside the burning building.

“The father paid a pretty high price with his injuries,” Hanna said.

Hanna said the boy ran back inside the house and was attempting to hide in the top bunk of the bunk bed.

“In mobile home fires, we depend a lot on eyewitnesses,” Hanna said. “Mobile homes burn uniquely. The burn patterns can be a little deceiving.”

Hanna said it seems the fire started in a bedroom.

“But when the whole family gets transported to the hospital like that, I feel like I need to give them a few days to get things back together,” Hanna added.