Careless smoking may have been the cause of a fire at 3 Old Elder Road in Gray that severely damaged a house shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday evening, according to Gray Fire and Rescue Chief Rick Plummer.

No one was injured in the fire. The homeowner, Michael Mains is the only person who lived at the house. Plummer said he was next door at his parents’ house when the fire started. His mother reportedly saw flames and called 911.

Plummer said firefighters arrived at the scene to find flames coming out the second story windows of the old farm house.

Investigatos from the State Fire Marshals Office ruled the fire accidental and said the blaze began in the first floor bedroom.

Because there are no hydrants in that area of town, mutual aid was called from Windham, Raymond, Cumberland, and North Yarmouth, which provided needed water from truck tanks. Firefighters also shuttled water from hydrants on Route 115.

“The house is standing, but it’s gutted pretty bad,” said Plummer.

The fire was mostly extinguished within an hour, but firefighters were on the scene for about five hours, putting out small pockets of fire and cleaning up, said Plummer.

Gray home gutted by fire