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Tampa family grateful for the community's support after losing home to a fire

Nearly a dozen animals were rescued
House fire damage
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TAMPA, FLA. — A Tampa family said they are grateful for the community's support after losing their home in a fire.

The fire happened on January 24 around 8:15 a.m.

Hillsborough County firefighters responded to find the home in flames. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue ruled the fire "accidental."

Jonathan Mary believes a faulty electrical outlet on the patio caused the fire.

"Unfortunately, beautiful house, but old bones. They said it was just bound to happen," said Jonathan Mary.

Jonathan and his wife, Brittany, were not home. Their children were at school. The family said their home security system alerted them. Video captured the sound of a window breaking and smoke filling the family room. Their pet macaw flew away from the window and walked to the front door. The bird was later rescued by a firefighter.

"It was actually a shattered window alarm so we were thinking a break in so she comes running home, thinking there’s somebody in the house," said Jonathan.

Firefighters rescued about 10 animals from the house including dogs, cats, tortoises and a snake.

"They busted down fences to save our dogs. We had a blue and gold macaw in the house that the firefighters scooped up and ran out with, a ball python couple little tortoises. Everything was a rescue," said Jonathan.

The family lost a few chickens and a tortoise.

"Unfortunate, but the majority and our kids and me and my wife were safe so you got to take the blessing," said Jonathan.

The family is overwhelmed with support and love from the community. The family has received donations from their employers and the schools their children attend.

"We’ve received donations from pretty much everywhere that we weren’t expecting. My kid's school, they go to a local charter school and it’s been absolutely phenomenal, phone calls constantly, come pick up, we have conference room filled with donations. My son's daycare even contributed," said Brittany Mary.

A GoFundMe page is also raising money online.

"Just the support from everybody. Absolutely, absolutely incredible. We’re completely blown away with the amount of support that the community has come together because we didn’t realize there was that many nice people in this world still and it’s great to see," said Brittany.

The family said they were also grateful to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and the deputies who arrived on the scene.