SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) –As law enforcement officers or other first responders, you are used to helping people out during emergencies.

Now a former County Sheriff needs your help after losing his house and most of his personal belongings to a fire.

This is all that remains of Steve Brinks’ and Peggy Freidel’s home at Lake Mitchell.

“It went up pretty fast in the back there was nothing anybody could do,” Brink said.

The two were just in the process of moving in when they got the call at 4 o’clock on Saturday.

“And they called when we were out in the country a little ways where I was living and dispatch said that my house was on fire,” Brink said.

It was going to be the perfect place for them to enjoy retirement with a beautiful view of the lake.

Steve lost some of his belongings. Peggy lost everything.

And for Peggy, it’s Deja Vu.

“This happened to me 20 years ago when I was living in Elkton that house we lived in at the time burned down due to an electrical issue so all that kind of comes back to you, yeah, but yeah I just knew what it was going to look like and I knew everything that I had was in here in this house, all I had was my phone and the clothes that I was wearing,” Freidel said.

The two are just glad no one was hurt and are grateful for the community’s support; a community he helped protect for years.

“The one thing I’m amazed by is how the people in this area came for us, I don’t know how to say thank you to everybody, but maybe this is a good platform right here to say thank you we really appreciate it,” Brink said.

The cause remains under investigation tonight. For now, Steve and Peggy are renting his old house in Salem.

There is a gofundme, if you’d like to help, click here.