Community members are coming to the aid of a Wilton police officer whose family recently lost their home and many of their belongings in a fire.

Wilton Police Capt. Tom Conlan says he was at his mother's home, a few blocks from his own home in Oxford, when he got a call from his wife about smoke early Saturday morning.

"So I rushed home, like a minute away. They were outside so I knew the kids and the dog were safe," says Conlan.

While the Fire Marshal's Office investigates the cause of the fire, people in multiple communities have stepped up to help the Conlan family.

A relative started a fundraising campaign that has already reached $17,000.

Conlan says both the towns of Oxford and Wilton have rallied around them.

“I couldn't be more amazed by the outpouring of support,” he says.

Conlan says people have dropped off bags of clothes and toys for his children ages 8, 6, and 3.

The Conlans are staying with family right now and plan to move into a rental home next week. They say they hope to rebuild in the future.

The police chief says donations can also be left at the police department's front desk or made through the Wilton Police Benevolent Association.