Elderly couple lose home in early morning fire

An elderly couple lost their shelter after a mobile home fire occurred at 1:10 a.m. Thursday.

Crews from Whitewater, Delta and Gordonville responded to the fire, which Delta Fire Protection District chief Alvin Frank Jr. said was on Route N, two and a half miles outside Delta.

"We had a 12-minute response time and, by the time we were on scene, there were flames showing," he said.

The fire departments were able to respond quickly with roads being clear, but with temperatures dropping below freezing, the crews had some issues.

Frank Jr. said the mobile home was filled with the couple's belongings, and firefighters had trouble sorting through them to extinguish the flames. He estimated crews were on scene for four and a half hours.

The fire did not appear suspicious, and Frank Jr. said the cause might have been a wood-burning stove, but he did not have an official cause Thursday.

No one was injured during the fire and the family's outdoor cat also was unharmed.