NEW SHARON – A fire destroyed a house trailer at 434 Industry Road on Tuesday afternoon.

John and Elaine Cox were both at work when a neighbor drove by and reported the fire at about 1 p.m. A dog was chained outside.

The blaze erupted during a severe thunderstorm and Farmington Deputy Fire Chief Clyde Ross suspects that a lightning strike may have caused it, though it is still under investigation.

There had not been a major structure fire in New Sharon in about three years, New Sharon Fire Department Capt. Paul LeBlond said.

Approximately 20 firefighters responded from New Sharon, Farmington, Industry and Chesterville. The fire was under control in 20 minutes, Ross said.

Several friends and neighbors came to support Elaine Cox as she watched her home fall to pieces while firefighters doused hot spots. She tended to her dog and kept a stoic gaze on the trailer that was her home. Her husband, John, was not at the scene.

Frenchy Levesque of Mercer said he offered the couple a place to stay while they got their lives back together. They did not have insurance.

Meanwhile, Larry Donald, tending his store on Route 2, heard the report of the fire on his scanner and had already put a white plastic tub on the counter, the words “John and Elaine Cox lost their home” on it. He said the town will probably hold a dance or dinner to raise money for the Coxes. He said he knows what it’s like, having been through a fire himself. The collection can is by the register at Sandy River Farm Supply in New Sharon.

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