Monk Dies In Fire In Fort Smith Buddhist Temple

The Fort Smith Fire Department says a monk is dead after a fire inside a Buddhist temple overnight.

Battalion Chief Boyd Waters told KFSM, the CBS affiliate in Fort Smith, the temple caught fire just after midnight.

“Once we got on scene, the whole thing was pretty much engulfed,” Boyd Waters said.

Firefighters said a witness told them a monk was possibly inside the temple when it went up in flames.

“We did find someone inside,” Waters said. “We don't know the name yet right now. We are not releasing that due to the family members.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.