JEFFERSON, N.Y. (NEWS10) — In the middle of the night on January 28, the family home and possessions of Tim and Nicole Merwin and their three children, were suddenly lost to fire. Though the family survived, they lost their three cats.

According to Assistant Chief Dan Minalga of the Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department, the fire started in the chimney of the Moxley Street home. It was extinguished without incident, he said, and the structure was saved.

Since then, the Jefferson community has come together and raised nearly $13,000 to support the Merwin family. Tim Merwin’s sister, Jillian Manico, organized the fundraiser and wrote, “The 2 adults and 3 children lost everything they owned. They lost their clothes, winter jackets, toys, furniture, pots, and pans, family photos, school supplies, their children’s backpacks, food, diapers, and the keys to their vehicles – and everything else in the home – due to the unexpected fire.”

As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe had reached $17,748 in donations. “God is watching over The Merwin Family,” noted Manico. “They will rebuild.”