Authorities no longer suspect arson in a fire at a Fort Smith residence where three children were left home alone, a fire official said.
It now appears that the fire that broke out about 1:30 a.m. Sunday at 2307 N. 29th St. was accidental, Fort Smith Fire Marshal Chris Driggers said Tuesday. A neighbor rescued the three girls, ages 9, 7 and 1, from the burning home.
A candle left burning on a back porch that had been converted into a room apparently overturned and ignited petroleum products on the floor, Driggers said. Oil that had leaked from a lawn mower probably accounted for at least some of the flammable material on the floor, he said.
Investigators did not find a candle at the scene, but learned through interviews that one had been left burning in the area where the fire started, Driggers said. What they did find at the scene
