Family's mobile home a complete loss after fire

LA GRANGE, N.C. (WNCT) – We’re getting new details tonight about a family of seven in La Grange. They’re now homeless after their home caught fire Saturday morning.

Best friends Jordan Brown and Amir Clark regularly bike along Simmons Street. But Saturday morning’s ride was different than most.

"Me and my friend were riding we saw how the house was damaged and smoke was excessively coming,” said Brown.

"I saw mostly a bunch of black smoke surging out of the house and you can see the windows are shattered,” said Clark.

Firefighters say the fire started in a bedroom after children were playing with a lighter.

“The children ran and woke up the parents and let them know that the bed was on fire and the parents tried to extinguish it but they weren't able to do so, so they then called the fire department,” said La Grange Fire Dept Chief, Wesley Sutton.

Although they were able to get the fire under control in a matter of minutes, the home is considered a complete loss.

Chief Sutton says this kind of thing doesn't happen often here in LaGrange but children Nine On Your Side talked with in the neighborhood say they've seen other kids playing with lighters on more than one occasion.

"A lot of kids around here mess with a lot of stuff they find. Sometimes kids play with lighters around here but usually they just take little leaves they find and light them,” said Brown.

When it comes to home safety and lighters Chief Sutton says it’s pretty simple.

"Try to keep them out of reach of small children that's the best advice I can give you,” he said.

But no one says it better than the kids themselves.

"Kids really shouldn’t play with lighters because this could happen,” said Clark.

"All you kids out there don’t play with lighters you find, either give it to an adult or throw it in the trashcan,” said Brown.

The Red Cross is working to help the family find a place to stay. If you have to have a lighter it’s best to have lighters with child safety locks on them. They’re normally around the same price as a regular lighter and you can find them at most gas stations.

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LA GRANGE, N.C. - The Red Cross is working to help a family find a place to stay tonight after their mobile caught fire Saturday morning.

Fire Chief Wesley Sutton tells Nine on Your Side it happened around 10 o'clock Saturday morning at a mobile home on Simmons Street in La Grange.

Sutton says the fire started after children were playing with a lighter.  La Grange firefighters were able to get the fire under control within five minutes of arriving on scene.

The home is considered a complete loss.

No one was injured in the fire.