A mobile home was destroyed early Monday in the town of North Harmony. It is believed a lightning strike caused the fire. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

STOW — A woman and her dog have been displaced after a suspected lightning strike caused a fire that destroyed her town of North Harmony home early Monday.

Ashville first responders were alerted around 12:35 a.m. to a possible fire at the Sunshine Village Mobile Home Park, 3393 Carpenter-Pringle Road. Fire Chief Charles Rugg said he arrived to find flames coming from a mobile home.

Firefighters from Panama, Sherman, Lakewood, Bemus Point and Chautauqua assisted Ashville crews.

Rugg noted an ongoing challenge with a lack of available manpower, a problem he said is countywide.

“Once we had the manpower we had (the fire) under control in about 45 minutes,” Rugg told The Post-Journal. “There was quite a bit of overhaul.”

Firefighters remained on Carpenter-Pringle Road for several hours, with the last equipment leaving the scene around 5:30 a.m.

Rugg said the lone occupant and her dog managed to escape without injury. However, he said the trailer was a total loss.

It is believed a lightning strike caused the fire. Storms had been moving through the region Sunday and into the early morning hours.

The woman was being assisted by the local chapter of the American Red Cross.

Rugg, meanwhile, thanked the volunteer firefighters who turned out early Monday to help battle the blaze, made more difficult due to the trailer’s construction.

“We greatly appreciated it,” he said of the mutual aid. “Without them we couldn’t do it.”