1964 — March 3 Lightning hits residence starting fire, Forrest City, AR — 7

–7  AP. “Seven Persons Perish in Fire at Forrest City.” Hope Star, Hope, AR, 3-4-1964, p. 1.

–7  Weather Bureau. Storm Data, Vol. 6, No. 3, March 1964, p. 12.

 

Narrative Information

 

Storm Data: “Arkansas…Forrest City area, St. Francis County…[March] 3…9:30 p. …7 [killed]…Lightning…Residence struck by lightning. Building burned rapidly with 5 persons escaping house.”

Newspaper

 

March 4: “Forrest City, Ark. (AP) A Negro woman and six children died in a fire which destroyed their frame home during a thunderstorm Tuesday night [3rd]. A 14-year-old Negro girl was credited with saving four other children despite flames that inflicted deep burns on her. ‘It sounded like some kind of explosion,’ Evelyn Reeves, 14, told her sister, Mrs. Wilma Henson today from her hospital bed. ‘Elizabeth was trying to get the kids out on the porch but she never got out the door.’

 

“Mrs. Elizabeth McGowan, 28, died in the fire. So did her children, Shirley Ann, 10, Debra Ann, 6, and Suberlynn, 3. The other victims were Anthony Reeves, 8, Devbra Kqy Reeves, 6, and Cassandra Gatling, 4, children of Mrs. Emogene Gatling, 27.

 

“Mrs. Gatling and Mrs. McGowan lived together in the house with their 10 children. Evelyn Reeves, Mrs. Gatling’s niece, was staying in the house. Mrs. Gatling was not home at the time of the fire.

 

“Fire Chief Noel Tatum said lightning apparently struck an old television antenna on top of the house, starting the fire.

 

“The Reeves girl saved Wilma Gatling, 5, Hanna Gatling, 1, Cecilia Gatling, 2, and Dianna McGowan, 8, before having to flee from the flaming house.

 

“All seven bodies were found in one room of the three-room house. Wilma Gatling suffered slight burns but the other three children who were saved were not hurt….” Associated Press. “Seven Persons Perish in Fire at Forrest City.” Hope Star, Hope, AR, 3-4-1964, p. 1.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Seven Persons Perish in Fire at Forrest City.” Hope Star, Hope, AR, 3-4-1964, p. 1. Accessed 3-7-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hope-star-mar-04-1964-p-1/

 

Weather Bureau. Storm Data, Vol. 6, No. 3, March 1964. Asheville NC: U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 3-7-2019 at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/sd/sd.html