A trust fund has been established for the family who lost their home and everything in it to a fire Wednesday morning.
The blaze broke out at the two-storey, 3,000 square-foot Bearspaw home west of Calgary.
When crews arrived on scene, the entire house was fully involved and could not be saved.
The large acreage home is now a small, smouldering pile of rubble.
A family of four lived in the home, but they were on vacation in Vancouver when the fire broke out. They got the devastating news from a neighbor.
"I've never seen anything like it. I hope never to again," said neighbour Colleen Janssen Hood, who called the family.
Janssen said the blaze is a vivid reminder that acreage life is different than city living. There are no fire hydrants nearby.
Some wonder if a ready water supply would have made the difference in saving the home.
But the Rockyview County Fire Department says it would not have made a difference as the house was already fully involved when they arrived. They added insurance will cover the losses.
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the blaze and are waiting for the homeowners to return and sign a consent form before investigators can start sifting through the debris.
"We are still waiting to speak to the homeowners. Once they are here, we will have a discussion with them about the home and the contents and the circumstances that led up to the fire," said Garth Rabel with Rockyview County Fire Services.
They do not believe the fire is suspicious.
Now the community is rallying behind the family to help them rebuild and remain in the community.
"Everything is gone, so they will need literally everything from toothbrushes to towels and even school supplies," Janssen said.
Anyone wishing to make cash donations to help the family can do so at any Alberta Treasury Branch under the family name, Sea.
Trustfund set up for Bearspaw family
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