BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Officials say a teenager was unable to save her 5-year-old sister from their burning apartment following an apparent cooking accident.
Baton Rouge Fire Department spokesman Curt Monte tells news outlets that firefighters battling the Tuesday night blaze found the body of Treasure Garner.
East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. “Beau” Clark confirmed the victim’s identity Wednesday.
Authorities believe the fire started after Garner’s 18-year-old sister left a pot of grease on the stove and walked outside to take out the trash. When the teenager returned, she was forced out by heavy smoke and couldn’t retrieve her sister.
The fire burned for more than three hours, spreading to more than 10 apartments before it was brought under control.
Monte says four people suffered non-life threatening injuries from their escape, not from burns.
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