On King Street in Sturgeon Falls early Friday morning, amidst the remnants of charred buildings and the equipment of exhausted firefighters strewn about the street, looks of sadness and despair could be seen on the faces of onlookers.
But there is hope in a community that has suffered major setbacks before.
Compassion for their neighbours. Charity to those who had lost everything in the flames. But most of all, resolve. A common resolve emerged among those gathered to help anyone in need, to comfort those affected, to rebuild their town.
Friday morning, a man who wished to remain anonymous, waited patiently outside of the yellow caution line to return to his residence above a business in the same block as the destroyed buildings. The man had a firsthand view of various acts of kindness in downtown Sturgeon Falls after being forced from his home Thursday evening.
Local restaurants provided food and drinks to the firefighters and the victims of the fire. Motels, churches, and homeowners offered lodgings. The man doubted that many of the apartment's tenants would have content insurance, saying many would be starting over from scratch.
Help for those affected can be found at the Sturgeon Falls Pentecostal Church.
Pastor Peter Kippenhuck, and his wife Carrie-Anne already had an existing inventory of donated clothing items, and offered a hot meal to those displaced, as well first responders Friday morning.
A Facebook page created by the church has had an overwhelming response. Click here for more about donations and contact information.
"We wanted to make ourselves available for the community, anything that they needed," said Carrie-Anne. "We are going to stay set up for at least the whole week, and we're going to go from there."
A steady stream of vehicles arrived Friday morning at the church with donations.
Clerks at a King Street pharmacy, located down the street from the burned out area were thankful that their place of business was unaffected, but expressed solidarity with those that were. They marvelled that the Moose radio station continued to broadcast music over the store's speakers, even though their newly renovated office had been completely destroyed in the fire.
Fire Chief Richard Maranda believes that the fire originated in the building housing Don's Butcher Shop. The fire transferred to the attic of the adjoining building, and that firefighters were battling two separate blazes. The heavy winds made matters worse, and the decision was made to evacuate the whole block.
Thirty-eight firefighters were on scene throughout the night, using vehicles from four different stations in West Nipissing. There was no loss of life, or injuries sustained in the inferno. As far as Maranda knew, all pets were removed safely.
Maranda also said that damages would easily be in the millions of dollars.
"Most of the firefighters have been here all night. Despite the damages, they did an awesome job," said Maranda.
See related stories: Big fire in downtown Sturgeon Falls
and: Sturgeon Mayor: It's devastating. It's our hear and soul.