Firefighters save carvings after marae torched

Firefighters using limited water supplies have saved sacred carvings after a suspected arsonist set fire to a marae near Tauranga early today.

The Ngati Pukenga iwi's Whetu O Terangi marae at Welcome Bay was burning fiercely by the time firefighters arrived about 2.45am.

Senior Station officer Grant Taylor said there was no water available and firefighters had to run a shuttle service from the river, where a portable pump was set up to fill appliances.

"It is one of those things operationally we are aware of that we have to do when we don't have water supplies," he said.

An emotional marae spokesman Rehua Smallman said today it was a heartbreak to see the damage to the marae. "The people are totally devastated. There are no words which can express it," he said.

But Mr Smallman added: "The fire service have done a great job in terms of saving the front."

He said the Whetu O Te Rangi marae was about 80 per cent damaged.

The carvings in the front had been restored about 15 years ago and would be used again.

He said the damage to the marae went to the heart of the entire community. "It is hugely devastating to the people."

But however bad it was, it would also bring people together to restore the marae.

Mr Taylor said the fire began on an outside wall where there was no electricity, no gas and no apparent reason for it.

He said it was heart-breaking to see the wharenui (meeting house) burning and be restricted in what they could do to save it. "We are very pleased because we managed to save the front of the wharenui with all the carvings which have got a lot of history."

Fire safety investigators were investigating the cause of the fire.

He said by the time they arrived it was burning well.

"The inside of the meeting house had erupted and the flames were at the windows and doors."

- NZPA