As thousands of people mourned the loss of seven children from a Syrian refugee family who died in a house fire in Nova Scotia, a Syrian refugee family in New Brunswick was thankful that they escaped from a house fire alive.

All eight members of the Bda family managed to safely exit their home in Fredericton on Saturday morning before their home was destroyed.

Fredericton Fire Department platoon captain Mike Mizner said the house was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived around 11 a.m.

Midya Bda, the mother of the family, thanked the community for stepping in to help.

“We are very happy that everybody’s safe,” Bda told CTV Atlantic through an interpreter.

“My children are OK, no harm for them, and we are very, very thankful for our community, for the Multicultural Association of Fredericton,” she added.

The Fredericton Multicultural Association has already helped the family find a temporary home, but their belongings were incinerated.

“We came outside our home with nothing so any donations are welcome,” Bda said. The multicultural association is accepting donations of clothing and food.

Just last Tuesday, seven children from a family of Syrian refugees died in a fast-moving fire in Halifax, N.S. Thousands attended their funeral on Saturday.

Kawthar Barho, who moved to Canada with her family 18 months ago, was at that ceremony for her children. Her husband, Ebraheim Barho, remains in hospital with severe burns.