Palmerston man Kevin Lott said the fire last Thursday started in his off-the-grid container home in Goodwood and then ripped through 25ha of forestry.
It was one of several vegetation fires in the South on a hot and blustery day.
Mr Lott said the fire started when a battery in his house overcharged and blew up.
"It made too much hydrogen and just went bang," he said.
The flames soon spread to a neighbouring forestry block, turning the house fire into a large and out-of-control vegetation fire.
It was insulated using polystyrene "because it was cheap", but that just caused the blaze to go "crazy".
"I’ve been set back about 30 years."
Mr Lott had no insurance and has lost all his possessions.
A bible from 1908 given to him by his grandmother was ruined, and family photos dating back to the 1800s were also lost to the flames.
A pair of $250 boots were completely melted to the soles, and all his clothing was gone.
Mr Lott was not sure whether it would be worth the effort of rebuilding.
"I haven't got the money — I don’t think I’ll ever get to stay here or move back in."
Currently, he was back to living in a small house-bus on his land.
He was on the property with his dog at the time of the blaze, but neither were inside the home.
"The wind just kept fanning it — the roof bent, it just buckled under its own weight."
About four tankers of water was used to extinguish the flames — the neighbouring forestry block burnt for a bit longer.
Once the fire had spread to the forestry block, it burnt through 25ha and had neighbours preparing to flee.
Four helicopters fought the fire and eight Fire and Emergency New Zealand trucks were on scene dousing flames.
Since the fire, the Palmerston community had rallied around Mr Lott and donated items, and have set up a Givealittle page to help him to get back on his feet
