Cocoa Brown‘s home burned down in a devastating fire this week — and her friends are now coming together to help her out … understandable when you see the extent of the damage.

The actress/comedian — famous from “For Better or Worse,” and lots of other shows and movies — suffered a massive blow Sunday when flames overtook her entire property in Fayetteville, GA … where she lives with her young son, Phoenix.

In terms of how this even happened, sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Cocoa believes a lit candle may have fallen into some clothes in the house — and by the time the fire alarm went off … CB ran to the room, but it was quickly becoming an inferno.

We’re told Cocoa tried her best to put out the fire with an extinguisher she had on hand — but the fire started overtaking the whole house … and she had to escape while she could.

Our sources say Cocoa was able to get her kid and her pets … and they fled the home with nothing but the clothes on their backs — and we’re told they’re lucky they made it out OK.

In the aftermath … Cocoa’s loved ones have started a GoFundMe for her — with a goal of $50,000 — and so far, a lot of people have come out to support her during this trying time.

Cocoa is a working actress and comedian, and while she has worked A LOT — with over 60 acting credits to her name, plus a ton of comedy specials as well — having your house go up in flames and it becoming as damaged as it clearly did here is a major setback for her.

As the GFM rightly notes … “Cocoa Brown has brought laughter and light to countless lives with her talent and humor. Now, it’s our turn to rally around her and show our support in her time of need. Together, let’s shine a beacon of hope and happiness in this time of darkness.”