FAIRBURY - Zachary and Dakota Howe, along with their eight-year-old daughter Emma, lived at 1217 D Street in Fairbury for less than a month before their home caught fire early on Dec. 14.

Crews were dispatched to the home around 3 a.m. The fire started on the front porch, and quickly spread to the exterior walls. Zachary Howe was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom, and was rescued by Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies right in the nick of time.

The house was deemed a total loss.

"This is the hardest time of year to go through something like this on top of Christmas," Dakota said. "We had just moved in."

The Howe family has a temporary housing solution, arranged by landlord Mick Vocelka, but much of their belongings were ruined.

That prompted neighbors Shandi Brown and Jen Richtarik to step in and help. They started a thread on the Fairbury Area Neighborhood Watch Facebook page on Saturday, asking for donations and new Christmas gifts.

Brown felt particularly move. She used to live in the house that caught fire Saturday.

"We just felt bad for them," Richtarik said. "As a community, we wanted to help out. (Me and Shandi) thought we would become the middlemen in the process to help them get what they need."

The Howe’s Christmas list was filled within 30 minutes. Many items, including a bike and tablet, were donated. Dozens more reached out, offering gift cards, clothes and anything else that could be spared. The Junk and Disorderly Thrift Store in Fairbury opened their doors to the Howes, offering them a chance to pick up whatever they might need.

"I have so many people that have reached out through Facebook or phone calls," Dakota said. "Just different people that are collecting items and gift cards. It's been an overall very, very supportive situation from the family."

Dakota has lived in Fairbury for practically her entire life. She’s seen neighbors help neighbors here before. Still, she’s been overwhelmed at the support and assistance her and her family has received in the days following the fire.

"It's a good overwhelming though," she said. "I can't tell you how many times I teared up, because it was messages from some person saying, 'Oh, we have this for you. This is taken care of. You don't have to worry about that.'"

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @Tommy_NCN.