The former head of Saskatchewan’s provincial government is picking up the pieces after a large fire destroyed his home on Buffalo Pound Lake earlier this week.

Lorne Calvert, who served as Saskatchewan’s 13th premier from 2001 to 2007, was at the site of his former home north of Moose Jaw on Wednesday, along with fire crews.

All that remains of the hillside property on Buffalo Pound Lake’s north shore is a collection of charred steel and concrete.

Calvert, along with his wife and two relatives, were home at the time of the blaze — which occurred at around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. The former premier told CTV News that they didn’t notice the house had begun to burn until a neighbour warned them.

“We were home, yes, and through the kindness of someone driving by who could see the house on fire who alerted us because we might not have noticed it immediately,” he said.

Everyone inside at the time was able to escape — including the family pet.

“We are thankful that Betty and I, our brother-in-law, our sister-in-law and our dog were able to get out of the house. There’s no life lost, no injury,” Calvert said.

“We are very thankful for that. We are thankful for the kindness and generosity of our neighbours who have immediately come to give us support and I am equally thankful for the volunteers who are part of our local fire departments,” he added.

Located 30 kilometres away, the Bethune Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene. However, crews were unable to save the home.

According to Calvert, the fire progressed incredibly quick. Within 45 minutes, the house was lost. However, the blaze did not spread to any neighbouring properties.

The home and all of its contents were destroyed. Currently, the cause of the blaze is unknown.

“If we have to leave, we have to leave. I think of others on this globe who are engaged with conflict that destroy their homes and leave them homeless. They don’t have the luxury in many ways of good neighbours and friends. They’re just left bereft. We’re so well supported by family and others,” Calvert expressed.

The Calverts will be meeting with their insurance company to discuss their options. For now, they are staying at a neighbour’s home.