THEBACHA/FORT SMITH - An elder living on the Salt River Reserve, west of Fort Smith, lost his home to fire earlier this month.

Members of the Fort Smith Volunteer Fire Department responds to a blaze that destroyed a cabin on the Salt River Reserve. - photo courtesy of Fort Smith Volunteer Fire Department

On May 14, a blaze destroyed the log cabin where the man lived alone.

But not before the elder, who is in his early 80s, went back into the burning cabin to retrieve some rifles and other personal property.

Fire Chief Darren Linaker of the Fort Smith Volunteer Fire Department said it is "highly dangerous" to enter a burning building.

"That's getting pretty dicey even for an 18-year-old, healthy person," Linaker said.

The elder was uninjured.

Along with the cabin, the fire destroyed a boat, a pickup, a van, a car, a snowmobile, a shed and tools.

The fire was outside the Fort Smith Volunteer Fire Department's jurisdiction, but it responded under its good neighbour policy.

"It was pretty much all said and done by the time the crew got out there," said Linaker.

From Fort Smith, the Salt River settlement is about 20 km west on Highway 5 and a further 10 km north on an unpaved road.

The firefighters watered the fire scene and made sure the blaze did not spread to any other property.

Linaker said one other home near the cabin was threatened, but the wind happened to be in the right direction to prevent the fire from spreading.

The investigation into the cause of the fire was turned over to the Fort Smith RCMP, which concluded there was nothing suspicious about the blaze.