After a devastating fire forced three families from their Dartmouth homes, the community has rallied to help out their neighbours.

Jonathan Wood and Brittany Clarke were forced out of their Dartmouth townhouse after a fire Thursday night consumed the unit next to theirs.

“I thought the whole place was coming down, and I think my bed might have even moved a little bit,” says Clarke.

“It was completely terrifying when I left the building. I just remember seeing the brick wall pushed right out,” adds Wood.

Wood is now staying at a nearby hotel. He’s lost clothing, furniture and soon won’t have a place to stay.

“As of Monday, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” says Wood.

Wood and Clarke are relying on the compassion of neighbours like Rowena Hardy, who is collecting clothing and furniture for the three units affected by the fire.

“Every time someone comes to my house with donations, my heart swells up,” says Hardy.

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency say they were called to the townhouse on Princess Margaret Boulevard around 2:15 a.m. Friday.

The furnace in one of the units exploded, sending flames shooting into the night sky. There is still no official cause for the explosion.

Neighbour Jessica Sudsbury was first on the scene Thursday night, after seeing the explosion from her apartment building.

“I looked down the road and I saw a glimmer of orange, and I thought, okay, maybe that’s somebody’s Christmas lights. And then I starred a little closer, and was like, that’s flames,” says Sudsbury.

Sudsbury started a go-fund-me campaign to raise money for her affected neighbours. In just two days, the page has raised nearly $8000.

“I’m really thankful that we live in such a close-knit place,” says Sudsbury.

A family of five jumped from their third story window onto a small mattress to escape the blaze. Father Etienne Muhindo remains in hospital with third degree burns, and will likely stay there for several weeks.

The three Muhindo children are emotionally and physically shaken up. Two have broken arms, while their mother has burns on her face and head.

The Muhindo family lost most their belongings in the fire as well, but the family says they are grateful for the support from their neighbours and community, and hope that Etienne will be out of the hospital in time for Christmas.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Emily Baron-Cadloff.