Cabin spared from fireball in Nemeiben Lake, Sask.

Mark Paquette is breathing a huge sigh of relief after his cabin was spared from wildfires.

On Wednesday morning he told CBC how he and his wife have been sleeping in their boat as flames came asclose as 300 metres to his recreational property on Nemeiben Lake, north of La Ronge.

Later on Wednesday, he told CBC the fire passed over his cabin but left it standing.

Paquetteand his wife hadbeenwatering down their buildings with industrial-grade sprinklers. They also cut the brush around the property.

The couple said they have beensleeping in shifts, sometimes in their boat, as they wait out the fire, for safety reasons.

"When the fire is very close, and it's active, we basically pack everything up, we put it on our boat and we anchor out about 200-300 metresfrom the shore, depending on wind direction, of course."

Paquette sawthe huge fire up close, and saidit's very impressive.

"All of a sudden you'll hear, it's like the airport, you'll hear a jet sort of sound start up in the forest, followed by a really black smoke," he said. "Then you'll see basically a fireball race across the trees."