While many relaxed, preparing to watch the Super Bowl one local Ville Platte family spent the morning trying to make sense of a devastating fire which destroyed a home they lived in for fifteen years.

“We received a call about 7 AM this morning, a report of a house fire. Units got on scene and reported heavy smoke and fire.” said Fire Chief Ray Mendenhall.

Chief Mendenhall says a neighbor made the emergency call, originally fearing that the residents were in the home trapped. Luckily, it turned out that no one was home at the time of the incident. The blaze was so high that it took fire fighters about forty minutes to put the flames out.

“Firefighting is a lot about when you get the call, I mean you’re always playing catch up.  No doubt this fire was burning for some time. At this time, like chief said, we are working with the fire marshals office to determine where it started.” said assistant fire Chief David Courvelle.

The owners of the home were out of town visiting their son in Houston. Their children and grandchildren were the first ones to make it to the scene and said by the time they reached the house, there was nothing left.

“My wife got here and my sister-in-law got here and the house was just completely gone. My mother in law and father in law know the house is burned but they don’t know how bad its burned.” said the homeowners son-in-law Gerald Lewis

Lewis says his father-in-law was an ex Vietnam vet who bought the home over fifteen years ago. He said it was the couple’s dream home.

“This is a travesty right here, right now, and we are just asking everybody for prayers and if people want to donate.” said Lewis.

The exact cause of the fire is still unknown and the homeowners plan to stay with their youngest daughter while they try to raise money to rebuild their lives.