Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau wants emergency personnel upset by what they saw inside Loafers Lodge to know they saved "so many people".
The hostel caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning, killing at least six people. The actual toll is yet to be known, with the investigation expected to be "slow and methodical", according to police and Fire and Emergency (FENZ).
"It's the worst outcome," Whanau told Checkpoint on Tuesday evening. "My heart goes out to the families impacted by this. I've been constantly amazed by the fire and emergency service, as well the police, for doing such a phenomenal job."
Whanau was first notified of the blaze at 4.30am, and has been on-site since just after 6am.
"I think when you're a city leader there is no better way to offer support than being on the ground, so that's why I'm here. I'll be back tomorrow morning just so I have my ear to the ground on behalf of council."
The council had pitched in $50,000 to her mayoral fund, and the City Mission had raised another $12,000, she said, from members of the public.
"That money will go towards the families who have lost loved ones as well as those who have been displaced, just to make sure they have access to the resources that they need."
About 50 people were displaced by the blaze, many of them now staying in emergency accommodation. The property housed a range of tenants, some of them had lived there for years, others not so long. Many were transient, making efforts to ascertain exact numbers of people who escaped more difficult.
"They'll have access to food, resources, mental health support and of course showers and kai as well. We're working with central government and [the Ministry of Social Development] to ensure that there's housing available for them as well.
Photo: RNZ
She said the nature of the hostel - short- and long-term rentals, likely housing people "probably on the more vulnerable side" - made it "even more heartbreaking".
"But until the police are able to get in there and do their review, we don't know a lot about who has been in there."
Police are planning to enter the building on Wednesday morning. Whanau said the building's most recent inspection was earlier this year.
"It did receive a warrant of fitness… as part of the review, council is working closely with Fire and Emergency, and police, to do a real thorough check to identify what has happened here."
Housing Minister Megan Woods said no concerns were raised when the building was checked by an independent expert just two months ago. Multiple residents have told RNZ the smoke alarms were constantly going off and there were always false alarms.
FENZ Wellington district manager Nick Pyatt, left, and Wellington mayor Tory Whanau, right, speak at the scene of the fire. Photo: RNZ / Jemima Huston
The firefighter who led first crew into Loafers Lodge said his crew struggling to deal with the aftermath. Clark Townsley told RNZ they were met with extremely challenging conditions as the fire pushed them back.
"The crew did everything they could to make access to the building. We made good headway - unfortunately the fire conditions pushed us back. But certainly, there was 110 percent by everybody who was involved."
Townsley said crews used the only large ladder truck on hand in Wellington to bring down five residents from the roof.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins had praise for the first responders.
"It was clearly a really difficult set of circumstances they confronted when they got here, and a lot of work over the last few hours to get people out of the building, to stabilise the building. Now a difficult job ahead as they ascertain when they can get back into the building to do the next difficult and tragic part of this process."
For the time being, the mayor said she was feeling "fine".
"You kind of just go into a bit of a zone, and kind of 'leadership mode'. So I feel fine, especially in comparison to the crew that worked tirelessly through the night," Whanau told Checkpoint.
"I can't even imagine how they're feeling, and the impact that has had, going into that building and saving so many people. They saved so many people. We have to remind them of that as well, because no doubt they'll be feeling the emotion of what has happened here."
Grant Robertson, the former MP for Wellington Central, said he personally knew many of those staying at Loafers Lodge through his old job. When he visited some of the evacuees, he said they asked about their friends, whose whereabouts they did not know.
"It's a group of people, I know many of them well from my 15 years as the MP here. They're people who work hard every day to get through… this is a devastating incident for anybody, let alone people who are already in pretty vulnerable circumstances."
Earlier, Chief Coroner Anna Tutton said it would be a "painstaking, slow process" identifying the bodies.