Tyson Steele, 30, said his cabin in the remote Susitna Valley burned down in mid-December after he mistakenly put cardboard inside his wood stove.

"I knew it was a problem, I've had wood stoves all my life. I knew that you don't do that,” he said. “So, it sent a spark out through the chimney which landed on the roof."

Soon, the entire roof was on fire. Steele said he quickly grabbed what he could — some blankets from his bed, a few coats, and some sleeping bags — and fled.

"I stepped outside and everything's on fire," he said.

He's lucky to be alive. Why did he put cardboard in the wood stove, knowing it's a problem? It's foolhardy to live alone in a remote Alaska cabin in winter. What if he gets injured or sick?

Glad he came to his senses. He's moving to Salt Lake City to live with relatives.

[nbcnews.com]