December 28, 1961

CHRISTMAS FIRE GUTS BLOCK

An entire city block in downtown Whitehorse lies in a crazy, twisted heap of jagged, ice-covered ruins. It is all that remains of a complex of shops, offices, hotel rooms and apartments.

They were destroyed in a fire that raged fiercely Christmas morning. Flattened by the flames were the Edgewater Hotel, the Hollywood and Edgewater cafes, the legal offices of King & King. Two barbershops, a tavern, a taxi stand, a plumbing and heating shop, a pool hall, several apartments and a shoe store.

The fire started at about 9 am and, with the cold air feeding it from below, it bloomed into roaring flames within minutes. Like a giant chimney the flames were hurled upward, licking at the more than 50 year old lumber of the hotel.

It is believed the fire broke out in the exhaust fan of the Edgewater cafe but it spread swiftly northward. Fortunately, lack of wind and the fact the crumbling building fell inward helped firemen prevent the flames jumping the alley toward Mac's or leaping Main to Taylor and Drury's.

As it was, Charlie Taylor and George Hartmann of T&D had plywood placed over the store windows facing the fire to prevent heat cracking them. Firemen also sprayed hoses on the store for a time to keep it wetted down and cool.

Virtually nothing was claimed from the fire except some equipment from Heck's Shoe Store. Some dressed in night attire, those who escaped reckoned themselves lucky to have been granted their lives.

The blaze was first noticed at the Edgewater, Lil Christopherson ran to awaken hotel guests... one or two doors had to be broken in... while husband Jack summoned the fire department.

Total damage has been estimated by Fire chief Fred Blaker at about half a million dollars. Apparently the Edgewater is fairly well covered by insurance but Nelson's was not fully covered. Many difficult to replace records and papers will have been lost in the King & King offices. All tenants in effect "lost the bundle."

Driven from their apartments were Mr. and Mrs. Gordon King and their family, Mr. and Mrs. Matt Nelson and family, Mr. and Mrs. Heck Fransen, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mueller and family, Mr. and Mrs. "Chappie" Chapman and Harold Giswold.

In addition there were many residents at the Edgewater.