Stuartburn Reeve Jim Swidersky lost everything but the shirt on his back and his truck in a brush fire Sunday. He has lived on Bambi Bay just west of Zhoda in the RM of La Broquerie for 20 years. Swidersky says the fire started raging near his property around 4:30 p.m. and he tried to soak down his house with water, but to no avail.

"It caught fire. I kept trying to water down the roof and then my garage (caught fire). Then my hydro line fell off and I lost water pressure and the battle was done. The fire came in with such a roar I couldn't hear anything. It was just like a freight train coming through and within 20 minutes, I had lost everything."

Swidersky says it's a very strange feeling to literally have nothing but the clothes you are wearing.

"Nobody lost any lives yesterday, that's the most important thing. But the biggest thing here is it happens to you and I'm talking to you with the clothes I have on my back, that's all I have. Something so simple, it's hard to imagine that you lost everything, you lost your past, you lost your keepsakes, your collectibles, it's like, today I start a new life so there's no past to me."

He begs people to absolutely not start any fires because it is so dry.

"I know that probably they'll investigate the fire and it'll be called undetermined. And if there was somebody who lit that fire, it's a crying shame that somebody would be that sick to do it. People have to be more cognizant, more sensible when it's dry out there and the wind is up."

Mo Frampton and her husband also live on Bambi Bay.

"It got so close to our house it singed the side of the garage and the back of our sunroom. It also burned out our whole sewage system. But then it jumped. It jumped from our side of the road to the other side. But what was absolutely incredible was our neighbours. They just came from all over the place, there were even people who came from Zhoda itself to try and help. Quite honestly, if it wasn't for those neighbours, we wouldn't have a house today."

Swidersky says the fire is still burning Monday morning along PR 302 between Zhoda and the Village of La Broquerie.

La Broquerie Fire Chief Al Nadeau says the fire is under control and has been contained.

Swidersky says it took only 20 minutes for fire to reduce his home to ashes.