Salomon Andre, who works as a Camden County police officer, and his wife, Dajshia Gibson, bought their home in Clementon, New Jersey, over the summer. They moved in just days before their son, Kailo, was born.
"It was perfect for us. Something for us to grow into," Gibson said.
On the afternoon of December 16, while Andre was on patrol for work and while Gibson was at the grocery store with their four-month-old, they got a call that changed their lives.
"The neighbor called on the Ring camera and said, 'Your house is on fire.' And I'm just like, 'No way,"' Gibson recalled. "But then I saw the fire department and them kicking in the door on the Ring camera."
When crews got inside the home, they found the family's dog, Dash, inside his crate on the second floor. They were able to rescue him, but the damage left behind was extensive.
"It started in the master bedroom, so the whole upstairs is gone," Andre said. "It hit me, like, 'Yeah, you're going to need a new home or it's going to take a while to get back in this place.'"
The family has been told it will take about a year to rebuild.
As they geared up for the holidays away from their new home, the community stepped in to help, donating diapers and formula for the baby.
"Especially with the holidays, people could be using that money to go toward their own family and Christmas gifts," Gibson said. "But the amount of support and love that we've been getting, it's been really heartwarming."
The Camden County Police Union donated $1,000 to the family, and a GoFundMe has been set up to help them. It has raised more than $15,000 so far.
As the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Andre said they are left with immense gratitude for the outpouring of support.
"We are forever grateful to everybody," Andre said. "So, thank you to everyone. We'll get through this day by day, step by step. It's just life. Gotta keep moving forward."