A rural Vernon family of five was left homeless by a fire that destroyed their mobile home early Monday evening.
Patoka Fire Chief Blake Hyde says Dustin Howe was attempting to thaw a frozen water line when the insulation under the home caught fire and was not immediately noticed.
Once they received the call, Hyde says it took the department about 25 minutes to get to the scene due to drifted roads giving the fire a big head start. The Patoka Township Road Commissioner had to plow one of the roads open to allow the department to get in. Once on the scene, Hyde says they were
further hampered by the extreme cold that froze hoses, valves, and the fire trucks themselves.
Sandoval Firemen were called for mutual aid assistance. The fire call came in at 5:05 Monday evening. Firemen were on the scene for about three hours.
