Leah Craddock, the owner of Lavender Cottage, fought to hold back tears as she recounted how close she had come to losing her home of 40 years.
''I was so scared, it was horrible. They said my house was a minute away from going up. Thank God for the fire brigade. This house is my life. I don't know what I'd do," she said.
Craddock was woken by the fire siren. She went outside and saw an ominous glow coming from the lodge. As the fire took hold neighbours sprang into action, hosing down her cottage and removing photos from the walls in case she had to evacuate.
Firefighters Eva Walker and Lindsey Davidson were the first to arrive at the station after the siren sounded. Given the urgency, Chief Fire Officer Neil Matheson, who lives further away, told them to go ahead while he caught up.
The could see the glow as they raced up Church St.
Walker got the pump going while Davidson attacked the fire. When Matheson arrived they set up a second hose and another water supply from a neighbour's tank. It was just the three of them until backup arrived from Ōkaihau, Broadwood, Ahipara and Kaitaia.
Walker saw the lodge walls change from black to white to red before flames started spotting through.
''It was roaring,'' she said.
Craddock's home and an unoccupied historic cottage next to the lodge were in immediate danger, and once it was clear the lodge could not be saved the firefighters concentrated on saving the other properties.
''You just do what you can with the resources you have,'' Walker said.
The early childhood teacher was saddened by the loss of the landmark.
''I said goodbye and had a bit of a tangi (cry). It's really devastating, like losing a town hall or an old school. They don't build things like that any more, they're real taonga.''
Detective Sergeant Dan Brockbank confirmed that the fire was suspicious, and urged anyone with information, or had noticed anything of concern, in particular around 4am on Friday, to call police on 105.
Fire investigator Gary Beer said the building was connected to the power supply, but only as far as the fusebox. No one had been inside the lodge for weeks, and the building was secure.
The first person to raise the alarm was Shannon Tindal, whose home looked out over the lodge. At first she thought the bright orange light she saw when she woke up around 4am was the sunrise.
''Then I saw flames on the doorstep [of the lodge]. I yelled 'Fire!' and my husband ran to the end of the driveway with a garden hose while I called 111. He thought he'd caught it, but as soon as it got inside the building it went 'whoomph!'," she said.
Her husband then turned his attention to protecting the two cottages.
Tindal said the lodge was and iconic lodge, one of the oldest in New Zealand.
''It's really sad that she's gone," she added.
The lodge's ground floor was built in 1891, with the top storey added in 1927, according to Heritage NZ. It was also used as a Scout den for many years. It stood empty for at least a decade but had been bought by Howard Lush, who was converting it into a home. It is believed he was just weeks away from moving in.
Tech journalist Juha Saarinen, who lives a few doors away, said Kohukohu had many old wooden houses close together, so the risk of a fire spreading was high.
A few locals thought the lodge was an eyesore but he liked it, and, like many others, had dreams - if he ever had enough money - of restoring it and setting up a restaurant.
''It's a real loss,'' he said.
A power plinth was also destroyed in the blaze, leaving much of Kohukohu without electricity for the day. The nearby St Mary's Church was undamaged.
