WEST PARIS – A fire gutted a North Paris Road home Friday, leaving a mother and her three children homeless, West Paris Fire Chief Norm St. Pierre said.

The fire was started by an overloaded electrical cord, St. Pierre said. Robin Chandler and her three children were not at home at the time, he said.

Officials were called to the blue one-story home at routes 219 and 26 about 11:45 a.m., St. Pierre said. Responding were Paris Fire Department, Tri-Town Rescue, West Paris Fire Department, Woodstock Fire Department and Norway Fire Department. Waterford and Oxford fire departments manned the vacant fire stations.

The West Paris tanker ran out of water “instantly” at the site, St. Pierre said, but firefighters were able to hook the hose up to a fire hydrant.

Chandler was renting the home from her aunt, Linda Rowe of Hartford. She had been making payments to eventually purchase it, St. Pierre said.

Damage was estimated at $50,000, he said.

The Red Cross has contacted the family, the chief said, and they will either stay at a motel or with a relative.