Deadly fire Saturday morning

LITTLE ROCK, AR - A Little Rock family is remembering a loved one killed in a fire Saturday morning.

Right now, firefighters are not releasing the victim's name, but the family tells FOX16 that Barbara Ball, 52, died Saturday when faulty wiring in the kitchen of her home caught fire.

Barbara's brother, Jaran Ball, invited us inside what is left of his Payton Street home as his family tried salvaging personal belongings.

Jaran, his mother, Ruby Richardson, and their friend, Cordale Watson, all escaped from the burning building around five Saturday morning.

Ball says his sister, Barbara, woke up, but could not escape their burning home.

"She awoke because they heard her holler," he says.

Ball and the fire department both say the smoke got too intense in Barbara's bedroom and likely killed her.

"I think it started by the plug back there by the sink," said Ball as he pointed to the kitchen sink.

With his sister's room right next to the kitchen, the smoke and heat stopped firefighters from reaching her in time.

"She was real nice. Easy going. Laid back. Just a people person, you know?" recalled Barbara's cousin Reginald Dillard.

This is Little Rock's second fatal fire of the year, and firefighters remind us all to take safety precautions.

"Whether it's heating with a fireplace, using candles, you know, for the fragrance or light be really careful with those. Space heaters with it getting cold, be very careful," says Little Rock Fire Captain Jason Weaver.

Now, Ball needs to find a new home for his mother and their four dogs.

"Pretty much gonna have to tear this all down?" asked a friend about the home.

"Yeah, they're probably gonna have to tear it down. This will have to be torn down a little bit," said Ball.

The Little Rock Fire Department tells FOX16 the cause of the fire does not appear suspicious.

The family says they do have insurance, and the insurance agents have already been out to the home to help them.