Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Colville Lake (Apr 15/02) - An early-morning fire April 7 has left an elderly couple homeless.

The homeowners, Hy-cinthe and Marie Kochon, were in Fort Good Hope attending a funeral at the time of the fire.

The couple's daughter, Theresa Kochon, said an overheated wood stove was the likely culprit.

She said there was a wooden table and wood box close to the stove, and flames were seen burning intensely from the living room area where the stove is kept.

"You couldn't go near it, the flames were so strong," Kochon said.

Kochon said she was at the house the night before the blaze and lit a fire in the stove at about 11:30 p.m. Her niece checked on the fire about 1:30 a.m., and then left for home.

At 4 a.m., Kochon said she received a frantic call from her brother, Robert, telling her their parent's home was on fire.

According to Kochon, it only took two to three hours for the fire to completely destroy the home.

The couple will stay with their son, Richard, until a new home is found. A temporary residence may come available in the summer.

Cpl. Mark Crowther of the Fort Good Hope RCMP detachment said last Tuesday a fire marshal from Norman Wells was on scene investigating.

Crowther said the "signals we're getting" point to an accidental blaze.