Novi Meadows Fire Investigation Includes Slurs Written Inside Mobile Home

The cause of a fire that gutted a  mobile home Monday remains under investigation, but homeowners are telling reporters they believe the blaze might have been a hate crime. 

Homeowner Stacy Baker told WJBK-TV that writing left inside the home made "some references to me and my partner's sexuality." Baker and Tawana Williams, a same-sex couple, were celebrating their honeymoon in Las Vegas when the fire broke out, according to the report. 

assistant chief Jerrod Hart said the department is working with Oakland County Sheriff's Dept. fire investigators to determine the cause and origin of the fire, which was reported by a neighbor at 1:41 a.m. Monday. 

"That's yet to be determined," Hart said. "These things take some time." 

Hart said the slurs written inside the home are "part of the investigation". Working through the soot and damage, he said, investigators are trying to determine exactly what was written on the walls and why. 

Reports indicate that a sign offering a $5,000 reward for information about the fire is posted on what's left of the home. 

The Oakland Press reports that couple is currently staying in a motel, and that , a community center in Ferndale for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, intends to provide assistance.