A man who fled the devastating wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta. arrived back home in Nova Scotia to find his house had burned to the ground.
Bruce MacDonald was on his way home to Cape Horn, N.S. from Alberta on Friday when he learned his house had caught fire and burned down.
âEverything was gone,â MacDonaldâs brother, Norm MacDonald, told CTV Atlantic.
âLiterally the only thing they had left was the clothes that they had on their backs. There was nothing left. Literally nothing left.â
Bruce MacDonaldâs 20-year-old son, who was home alone at the time, woke to the smell of smoke. He was able to escape safely, but the house was lost.
The family is staying with friends while they sort out their next steps. Itâs unclear what caused the fire.
An has since been launched to support the family. More than $12,000 has been raised in a few days.
âEvery few minutes there was more and more money. Thatâs not including what was coming in in email money transfers. We just couldnât believe the outpouring of support,â said Normâs wife, Cindy, who helped form the fundraiser.
The family declined to be interviewed, but said they are overwhelmed by the generosity theyâve received.
âTheyâre really blown away. They really werenât expecting it,â said Cindy MacDonald.
The support is well-deserved, according to Bruceâs brother.
âTheyâd give their shirts off their back to help people in general, so itâs nice to see that in return,â Norm MacDonald said.
With a report from CTV Atlantic