UPDATE: 1 dead in NLR fire, victim identified

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - North Little Rock firefighters responded to an early morning house fire on Gum Street -- and later discovered a body inside.

The victim has now been confirmed to be 53-year-old Darla Deblock.

Firefighters say a police officer out on patrol spotted the flames -- and wanted to go in -- but the intensity of the flames prevented it.

"It was horrible,” says neighbor Terri Morgan. “The flames were coming out of the house."

Firefighters arrived but because of the intense heat and smoke -- they couldn't go in either.

After extinguishing the fire they went in and found a woman's body.

Terri Morgan says she knew the woman they found.

"I guess it's been a week or so I saw her in the store and we were just like hey neighbor and that kind of small talk."

The cause of the fire is under investigation but investigators believe a space heater in the bedroom is to blame. Space heaters keep us warm -- but firefighters say they can also cause damage if left unattended.

Neighbors say the woman living at the home had been ill for some time.