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NATCHEZ — Everett and Elaine Rounds woke up this morning in a motel room provided by the American Red Cross, their only possessions the clothes they were wearing.

The Rounds home at 8 Hazlip St. off of Cloverdale Road was completely destroyed by fire on Wednesday night.

Everett was at home when an indoor propane heater exploded. He was able to escape with the family’s three dogs. He suffered a burn on his face, but no other injuries.

Elaine was at work at her job at CVS at the time of the fire.

Everett, who is self-employed doing lawn maintenance, lost all of his business equipment.

Natchez Fire Chief Robert Arrington said this morning his firefighters received a call reporting the fire shortly before 6 p.m.

“On arrival, we saw the house had been burning for a while. It was fully involved,” Arrington said. “We had a better response time than usual because some of our guys were already in that area.”

Regardless, the home was a complete loss, he said.

“We had lots of hindrances in fighting the fire. Power lines were down in the yard and other safety factors we had to mitigate. It was a mobile home, and those go up really fast,” Arrington said.

Thursday morning, a tearful Elaine said what the family needs most right now is clothing.

She wears medium shirts, pants size 10, 38 D bras, size 8 underwear and size 8 shoes. Everett wears men’s extra-large shirts, 30-32 pants, shoe size 9-½ to 10 and medium underwear.

Donations for the Rounds can be taken to Go Mart on Seargent Prentiss Drive, where Amy Nichols, a neighbor of the Rounds, will collect them and get them to the Rounds.

The Rounds are also in need of toiletries and dog food, as well as a place to live.

“It’s overwhelming,” Elaine said. “We are still taking it all in. One hour at a time.”

The Rounds had lived in their mobile home for the last seven years.

“With my husband being self-employed, he lost all of his equipment. If anybody has anything they can donate to him to help him get back to work, that would be very appreciated,” she said.

Nichols has set up a GoFundMe for the Rounds, entitled Rebuild Hope for Elaine and Everett, for those who would prefer to donate funds for the Everetts.

“Elaine and Everett Rounds and their furbabies lost their home and all of their belongings in a fire Dec. 11. Now homeless and with only the clothes on their backs, they must find shelter and basic necessities right before Christmas,” Nichols wrote on the GoFundMe. “Any help will be much appreciated and used toward their needs at this time.”