UPDATE, 1:56 p.m.:

The majority of the work on the fighting the fire is over now, was long ago, in fact. At 9 a.m. the Nelson fire department started rolling up several of their fire hoses while the ladder truck remained on station, pouring water in the smouldering wreckage.

While the initial crisis is over, there is still much to be done. Forty-eight people are now homeless and the number could climb. I have compiled a list of groups that are collecting donations to help the Kerr residents and the Kootenay Network has started a forum to connect those in need with those who can help.

Here’s a photo gallery of the fire.

5:11 a.m.
Flames are still coming from the roof, jumping even higher at times.

5:53 a.m.
The fire has eaten its way along the roof now, reaching the front of the building. There were periods where the flames flared up into the sky.

From Ward Street I can see the fire department has four hoses on the building. They’re directing most of the water up to the roof and the department’s ladder truck is stationed on Victoria Street.

The platform at the end of the ladder truck has bright lights that shine down on the smoke that’s rising from the entire roof. At times the smoke billows up to envelop the platform and the light from the fires and the light from the platform illuminate it from within.

Earlier I walked around to Josephine Street to see what I could observe from that angle. I could walk down the nearby alley and look into the basement windows of the Kerr. They were orange with fire and shortly two firefighters, lugging hoses behind them, came up the alley and directed their water into the windows.

The wind would shift from time to time, sending the acrid smoke towards me.

I can’t imagine what it’s like in the eastern part of town. The smell must be awful.

There are few crowds at the moment. It’s surprising how quite a fire can be, once the alarms are off.

At around 5 a.m. a city bus took away some of the residents, likely to the New Grand Hotel. Young mothers and fathers held their tired children.

There’ll be a need to help these families soon. Read below for ways to help, but also for great examples of the community pulling together for those driven from their homes.

The city is starting to wake now. People will walk downtown as they always do and find one of their heritage buildings on fire still.

The Kerr is an imposing building made of rough stone. There’s little of the exterior to burn. All the fire is hidden within which must make the fire difficult to get at. Firefighters can only directly get at the flames from above. The rest of their hoses can only be aimed at the windows.

The story so far

4:12 a.m.
Flames are spouting from the roof of the Kerr Apartment building as the Nelson fire department works to bring the blaze under control.

At the moment, officials don’t think there were any serious injuries though it is believed several pets belonging to tenants are missing.

According to Sgt. Pat Severyn, Nelson Police Department, emergency services were alerted to the fire at about 11:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Police received eight calls about the fire. When Sgt. Severyn arrived there was heavy smoke coming out of the chimney and some of the windows.

“When we opened up the front door the smoke was about three feet off the floor. The second level it was about two and half feet off the floor and when I went onto the third level to clear the building the smoke was touching the floor at that point.”

Police did a sweep of the building and shortly after the fire department arrived and did their own sweep.

Sgt. Severyn is “almost certain” they got everyone out.

By the time Sgt. Severyn arrived there were people pushing their personal property out the windows.

“There was one younger family that the kids were even coming out the windows. The parents obviously didn’t want to use the hallways.”

It was snowing heavily at the time and Kerr residents were loaded onto city buses until the nearby Capitol Theatre could be opened up.

With the building still in flames, the residents of the Kerr were ushered inside where social services set up tables and took people’s information. Those who did not have a friend or family member to go to were put up at the New Grand Hotel.

‘I saw a wall of flames’: A Kerr resident’s story

Simon Walford lived in the Kerr building and he spoke with me at the Capitol Theatre.

We recognized each other from an earlier meeting (Walford used to work at the Velvet Underground) and I asked him if he lived in the Kerr.

He pushed open the door of the theatre and looked out at the building. Lights from the fire trucks play over it and smoke and steam billow into the sky. Jets of water play over the rough hewn stone exterior and in some of the windows, the orange light of flames glowed.

“I did,” he says.

Walford lived on the second floor of the Kerr. He woke to the sound of the fire alarm and went into the hallway. There have been a rash of alarms in recent weeks, usually the result of burnt toast.

Walford went to the first floor to see the fire alarm board to see if he could tell what was the cause. The lights said the basement.

Walford went down to see what was up. He says he took care of his surroundings, making sure he wasn’t getting into danger.

“I went down into the basement and saw a wall of flames.”

Walford was at the front stairway, closest to Victoria Street and he was looking at the back of the building.

Walford ran back upstairs and let the gathered residents know it was a real fire this time.

In seconds people started knocking on doors, kicking them in at times, letting everyone know this was no false alarm, no burnt toast.

It was then people started grabbing their loved ones and valuables and fleeing the building.

Walford was lucky, in a sense. He had just returned from holidays visiting family in Smithers. He had two bags packed and he took those and his most expensive piece of DJ equipment and left.

He doesn’t know if his record collection and turn tables will survive. He looks at the Kerr again, trying to tell if the flames have moved forward to his apartment. The flames started at the back, on the alley end, but flames have spread forward.

Walford and I walk out into the night and watch the firefighters at work. We head up Ward Street where we can see the profile of the building.

He starts counting windows, naming the apartment units. The orange light of flames illuminate the middle of building and it doesn’t look promising for Walford’s unit.

Back in the Capitol, Walford says he doesn’t know how to deal with the emotions he’s feeling.

“My heart goes out to the people who I know have lost everything.”

Sgt. Severyn says people can call the Nelson Police Department and ask to speak with Dana Barter at (250) 354-3919 to find ways to help.