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A couple and their two children are without a home after a fire early Tuesday morning in Freeborn.

Brandon and Megan Peterson had just purchased the home, at 201 Park St., on Dec. 19 and did not have insurance on it yet, they said. Also perishing in the fire were their five dogs and four cats.

According to the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office, a call of the fire came in at 1:22 a.m. after a neighbor was taking his dogs out and saw the fire. He knew the family lived there but was not sure if they were there at the time.

The Petersons were not home and had been staying at a hotel as they worked to update flooring and paint in the house before moving their 3-week-old daughter and 11-year-old daughter in. The couple said they had some of their furniture in the home already and had been planning to move in more Tuesday and stay for their first night in the house.

Freeborn, Manchester, Alden and Hartland fire departments responded to the blaze, which also damaged the vinyl siding of a neighbor on Park Street.

Brandon Peterson said he got a call at 1 in the morning from their energy company asking if they had shut off their energy. After that, they got numerous calls from others advising them of what was happening.

He said they could smell the smoke from Manchester as they drove to the house and estimated they arrived at about 1:45 a.m.

They said they are trying to remain optimistic but talked about some of the irreplaceable items that were destroyed in the fire, including belongings of Megan’s mother, who died three years ago from cancer, and keepsakes from Brandon’s grandparents.

As of Tuesday morning, they said the cause of the fire had not yet been determined.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family here. An account is also being set up at Accentra Credit Union for the family for those wishing to donate.