Firefighters attend a blaze at a villa more than a century old in Herekino on Wednesday morning.
Firefighters attend a blaze at a villa more than a century old in Herekino on Wednesday morning.
The loss of a historical old schoolhouse in the Far North will have a big impact on the community, a Herekino resident says.
The Herekino Schoolhouse, which was more than a century old, was destroyed in a fire on Wednesday morning, but nobody was in the house, with the owner away at the time.
Emergency services were sent to the home on Kaitāia-Awaroa Rd shortly after 9am following multiple calls about the blaze.
Firefighters worked hard to bring the fire under control as flames fully engulfed the house. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Smoke from the Herekino house fire was visible from several kilometres away.
A resident from the area, who did not want to be named, said the blaze would affect the community “big time” as many people knew the occupants and the home’s historic link to the old school and area.
‘’This is just so devastating. It was a beautiful old villa and family home.’’
A plume of smoke from the fire was visible from several kilometres away.
A Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) spokesperson said the fire was “well-involved” when they were alerted.
The chimney stack, top right, is one of the few things left after the old Herekino Schoolhouse was destroyed by fire on Wednesday morning
Volunteer firefighters from Kaitāia and Ahipara were first to arrive at the scene. They took three appliances and a water tanker but later called for backup. Fire crews from Mangōnui, Kohukohu and Broadwood responded.
The Fenz spokesperson said firefighters initially were only able to douse the fire from outside the property because it was engulfed in flames for more than an hour until the fire was brought under control.
Police also assisted the Fenz crews and said there were no reports of any injuries as no one was in the building at the time. The fire is not being treated as suspicious at this time.
In late July, the old Wainui School, which once served the Te Ngaere Bay and Wainui Bay communities, was destroyed in a fire.
The suspicious blaze caused disbelief and sadness that the buildings had been destroyed and at the impact it would have on the community.
The old school had been used as a community recreation centre for years.
The Fenz spokesperson said in a separate incident in the same Herekino suburb yesterday, about three acres of steep hillside was on fire.
After dousing the fire on the old Herekino schoolhouse, firefighters from Ahipara, Kaitāia and Broadway rushed to the second incident near Whangape Rd at about 2.10pm.
The brigades arrived with three appliances and one water tanker.
The Advocate understands one helicopter was dispatched from Dargaville to help bring the blaze under control using a water bucket capable of holding around 600 to 800 litres.
With the Awaroa River being only 100 metres away from the hillside, firefighters planned to use the natural source to put out the spreading fire which was headed to a nearby area called Pine.
