Fire guts Upper Hutt club

An Upper Hutt club was gutted by a major fire early today, firefighters say.

The fire broke out at the Cosmopolitan Club at 12.08am, Wellington Fire Service spokesman Andrew Tollison said.

Fourteen fire engines and two aerial fire engines, with elevated platforms, fought to control the fire, which was still smouldering at 9am, he said.

One engine remained on standby at the club, which was completely "gutted" by flames, a Trentham fire service spokesman said.

Fire safety officers were investigating the cause of the fire, he said.

No one was believed to have been in the building at the time.

- NZPA