NEW SHARON — A family of seven are trying to recover from losing their home to fire Friday night at 660 Weeks Mills Road. Thomas and Jenny Bailey and their five children, ages 2 to 9, also lost their belongings and their only vehicle.

The family had gone out to supper with Thomas’ parents, Pam and Marc Bailey of Farmington. They all rode together in the older Baileys’ vehicle. When they returned home, the house was engulfed in flames, Pam Bailey said Monday.

Firefighters were not at the scene at that time. They were notified of the fire at 11:11 p.m.

Forty to 50 firefighters from eight departments responded to fight the blaze. A state fire investigator came to the scene to try to determine a cause. There was so much damage, however, that the cause will remain unknown, New Sharon fire Chief Roger Foster said.

The fire started in the back of the house, he said.

Two men helped Thomas push a tractor away from the fire, Pam Bailey said. It was too late, however, for the family’s newer Ford 250 pickup truck, which caught fire. The garage was also lost.

The family’s immediate concern was that they didn’t have any clothes except for what they were wearing.

“People have been more than generous with clothing,” Bailey said, so they are now set in that area. “People have been amazing. We certainly do want to thank the community.”

“We had such an overwhelming response,” said Tammy Parsons, a family friend who collected clothing at her store, Divine Inspirations, on Front Street in Farmington over the weekend.

Parsons said the children not only lost their clothes but their toys and other personal items. They also don’t have any household items such as silverware, plates or pots and pans. She will collect those items at the store. Her number is 207-491-2898.

Storage for the family is an issue, but they are working on that. “We don’t know where they are going to be living,” Bailey said, regarding the storage of donated items.

The family is very thankful for all everybody has done and for the donations, she said. The children are Brooke, 9, Troy, 7, Trent, 5, Bridgette, 4 and Bella, 2, according to Parsons.

Bridgette was very proud of a new dress that was donated and called Parsons in to look at it.

“She was so excited,” Parsons said. “It was so cute.”

The younger Baileys have a herd of about 40 organically raised dairy cows.

“They are doing fine and with the farm, it keeps everybody busy,” Pam Bailey said. She and her husband also run a farm.

“We were just so thankful it wasn’t the barn,” she said.

The young couple has to run back and forth to the farm to take care of the animals, which are their livelihood. The herd has to be kept on certified organic land like they are now.

Everything is a bit chaotic at this time, she said.

The older-style farmhouse, believed to have been built in the 1800s, was owned by Faith Ann Berry of New Hampshire. She had insurance on the house, but the family did not have renters insurance, Pam Bailey said.

The water supply system went down in the fire. A group of men worked to get water to the barn for the cows. They had been hauling water for the animals before that, she said.

Parsons described Thomas and Jenny as very hardworking people. He works 16 hours a day on the farm and Jenny is right beside him for the most part.

Jenny also home-schools the children. All the home-school material was lost in the fire.

Jed Malcore has set up a GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/ngis7s to raise money to help the family.

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