Man who lost his home in the Australia bushfires receives a $1 million ‘miracle’

A man from Queensland, who lost his family home in northern New South Wales in the Australia bushfires, won $1 million in the lottery and plans to use the money to rebuild his house.

The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, won $1 million (around $685,000 in USD) in the Gold Lotto Draw, according to 9News. “This is a miracle,” he said.

“This really has come at the most incredible time,” he told 9News. “All that was left of the home was a few charred teacups.”

Lauren Cooney from The Lott, an Australian lottery brand, said she told the man that he won on Jan. 9 and that he was “incredibly emotional,” ABC News reported.

“The home wasn’t insured, so this prize meant that they would be able to rebuild which initially, they thought they wouldn’t be able to,” she said.

Australia’s devastating bushfires have been ravaging the country for months. At least 27 people have died and more than 2,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed, CNN reported.

New South Wales, the country’s most populous states, has been hardest hit, with 1,588 homes destroyed and more than 650 damaged, according to CNN. Entire towns have also been consumed in flames.

This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Man who lost his home in the Australia bushfires receives a $1 million ‘miracle’."