April 7, 1892
The first fire: Carney and Barrett’s store. Destroyed. Loss estimated at $7,000 to $8,000. Read about it in The Miner.
Jan. 19, 1894
International Hotel. Destroyed. This fire resulted in public pressure that led to improvements to the city’s volunteer fire department, the purchase of new equipment, and ultimately construction of the first dedicated fire hall. Read about it in The Miner.
1898
Nelson Brewery and Ice Co. Ltd. Brewery at Mill and Ward streets destroyed.
April 15, 1903
Kootenay River Lumber Co. sash and door factory. $6,000 loss. Possibly the first fire photographed in Nelson and also described as the “fiercest” to that point.
May 1, 1903
LaPointe’s boarding house, Vernon Street. Three-storey building, destroyed.
Dec. 24, 1903
Hall Mines smelter. Two buildings destroyed. $1,800 damage.
April 13, 1905
Victoria Hotel
Aug. 9, 1905
Grand View Hotel. Claims the life of Mario Chiparro (aka Manlio Cepparo), 30. $5,000 damage.
Jan. 17, 1906
House fire, Latimer and Josephine streets. Claims the lives of siblings Joseph Henry Bourgeois, 5, and Adrian Bourgeois, 1.
July 4, 1910
Kregscher shingle mill, Water St. $31,000 damage. Also destroys Kootenay Engineering Works and old Nelson laundry, houseboat, and four homes.
July 5, 1910
Dominion government quarantine station. $2,500 damage.
FIRE BUG OF 1911-12
Read the full story of the Fire Bug
Aug. 17: Yale Columbia lumber yard
Aug. 18: Twin Cottage, Lake Street
Aug. 18: Between houses, Chinatown
Aug. 19: Basement of brothel, 777 Lake Street
Aug. 20: Under sidewalk, 318 Lake Street
Aug. 21: Between two Chinese houses, corner of Lake and Hall streets
Aug. 22: Chinese ranch buildings in Fairview, $5,000 in damage
Aug. 23: City tool shed adjoining fire hall, $750 damage
Aug. 24: Provincial jail. Damage $50
Aug. 30: Attempt to burn Lambert lumber yard
Sept. 1: Brewery on Latimer Street. $50,000 loss
Sept. 2: Hall Mines smelter. $200,000 loss
Sept. 3: Another attempt on Yale-Columbia lumber yards
March 12: Bell Trading Co. warehouse, McDonald’s Jam Factory
March 18: Allan block, Ward Street
March 19: Griffin block
March 20: Brackman-Ker warehouse, Yale-Columbia mill buildings
April 12: Curiosity shop, Josephine St., $6,000 damage. McHardy building, $7,000 damage. Thompson building.
June 11: Shed, Nocks’ ranch
May 1, 1913
McDonald’s Jam Factory, Vernon St. Last fire before the new fire hall opened.
Jan. 24, 1915
Trinity Methodist Church. Rebuilt.
ca. 1918
Grand Central Hotel, Vernon Street
ca. 1919
Original Nelson Transfer block
Dec. 14, 1919
Douglas Block, north side of Baker St. Businesses destroyed included Nelson Employment Agency, J.V. Ramsden, tailor; and V.J. McArthur, vulcanizer. Built in 1891 or 1892, this was reportedly the second oldest building still standing in Nelson after the Nelson House, built in 1890.
May 23, 1922
Nelson House hotel, Baker Street between Ward and Josephine. Destroyed along with several other buildings and a total of ten businesses, including Julien’s cafe and rooming house, Wilson’s groceteria, Niven’s butcheteria, Wade’s shoe repair, Croll’s tailor shop, Scotch bakery, Bodega hotel, Holland’s harness shop, Choyce’s bicycle shop, Hamilton’s milliner, and Nichols’ barber shop. Total loss close to $30,000.
early 1920s
Original Nelson Transfer block
early 1920s
Grove Hotel, Fairview
early 1920s
Western Box and Shingle Mill
late 1920s
Nelson Lumber and Manufacturing Co.
late 1920s
Lakeside Hotel, Vernon Street
Jan. 25, 1928
St. Saviour’s Church. Rebuilt.
July 31, 1929
Fair building, Vernon Street where Civic Centre now stands. Destroyed. Dawn Penniket said it “went up like paper.”
July 6, 1932
Griffin Block, Baker and Ward streets. Destroyed. Where the Fink Block (Wait’s News and other businesses) now stands.
April 18, 1935
Nelson Opera House, Victoria Street. Destroyed in a spectacular final performance. As early as 1908, the building was declared a “fire trap.”
June 21, 1935
Columbia Botting Works, Ward Street. Destroyed, taking the life of Annie Linebaugh, 80. This building, formerly the Nelson Cab Co. miraculously survived the opera house fire next door two months earlier.
April 1936
Associated Growers fruit packing sheds. $23,000 damage.
April 1937
Former Bodega saloon, last frame building on north side of 500 block Baker St. burns, including Hoogerwerf’s electric store, Standard Electric, Beresford’s store, Van de Kamp Bakery, and Cummin’s taxi.
April 3, 1938
Imperial Oil warehouse and Shell Oil Plant, Government Road. $20,000 damage Dawn Penniket recalls: “We were up in Rosemont above the CPR hill and had a dandy view of oil drums blowing skywards and exploding in flames.”
July 28, 1940
Nelson sash and door factory, Front Street. Penniket remembered: “We watched from the ball grounds bank across the street … The fire was a roaring and Mum and I nearly had a thousand fits. There was Dad up on the Wood Vallance warehouse roof hosing it down and the fire blazing in the building behind his back.”
1942
Klondyke Hotel, Vernon Street
1942
Kootenay Steam Laundry, Baker Street
June 29, 1942
Central School. Damage $10,000 confined to the roof and upper story.
May 16, 1944
W.W. Powell Co. lumber yard
April 29, 1947
Three buildings on Lake and Hall streets. Fong Wing, 73, and Mar Chow, 60, killed.
Nov. 23, 1949
Johnstone block, corner Baker and Josephine streets. $250,000 damage to two apartments and seven businesses, including Nelson Electric, Greenwood’s Furs, Safeway, Gray’s candy store, Alice’s Wonderland, Clerihew’s barbers shop, and Johnson’s shoe repair. Chief Gordon McDonald, taken to hospital for smoke inhalation called it the “toughest” of the more than 7,000 fires he had fought.