SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Residents of an historic Yellowknife apartment and hotel building watched flames, and clouds of smoke billow off their roof and into downtown yesterday at around 4 p.m.

See exclusive video here The fire department was called to the Coast Fraser Tower just before 4 p.m. on Tuesday - just before the massive smoke column coming from the roof of the 14-storey building revealed flames underneath. A helicopter dropped 10 loads of water on the building, flying between the site and a refill point on Great Slave Lake. Fire and smoke were no longer visible on the outside of the building by little after 5 p.m. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

"I was just on the computer and I got a text message from my friend saying 'your building is on fire,'" said Stephanie Robertson, a resident who lives on the fourth floor of the Coast Fraser Tower, while she stood outside watching the flames; shortly after she heard the fire alarm.

"I just booked it out of there," she said.

Robertson said she heard the fire started on the top floor of the building and spread because of a tar coating on the roof.

The tower has 99 units, split between apartments and hotel rooms.

Shortly before 4 p.m. the fire department was called. Minutes later, residents were evacuated from the building as two fire trucks arrived and firefighters scrambled to hook hoses to fire hydrants.

A column of black smoke rising from the roof of the building, visible all over the city, quickly turned to flames. Heavy black smoke billowed hundreds of feet into the air and drifted north as fire crews rushed to extinguish the blaze on the roof where a penthouse and meeting room are located. The entire rooftop was engulfed in flames by 4:15 p.m.

Carly Wilson, 16, saw the smoke as she was walking home to the tower from Sir John Franklin High School.

"I was (scared) but I'm not anymore because it looks like it's under control," said Wallace at 4:30 p.m. She lives on the 10th floor of the building.

Catherine Travis, general manager of the building, did not comment but said the president of Coast Hotels and Resorts - the company that manages the building - would call Yellowknifer once things had settled down. Yellowknifer did not hear from the president by press time.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said building management were looking after people who were staying and living in the high-rise, and finding them places to stay if need be.

Van Tighem said the people would be put up around town in "hotels then other apartments" until the extent of the damage was determined and Coast Fraser "can repatriate people."

A helicopter was called into help fight the fire a little after 5 p.m. It ferried 10 loads of water between Fraser Tower and Great Slave Lake to subdue the rooftop blaze. Flames and smoke were no longer visible outside the building shortly afterwards.

Construction of Fraser Tower was completed in 1970. It was named after former NWT commissioner Fred Fraser, and renamed the Coast Fraser Tower by Coast Hotels and Resorts, which took over management of the building in 2007, which is owned by MacLab Properties.

Yellowknifer was unable to get in touch with officials at the Yellowknife Fire Department by press time.

- with files from Mike W. Bryant