Loafers Lodge hostel fire one year on: What happened and what’s changed?

This day a year ago, Wellington was waking up to chaos. For those in the Loafers Lodge hostel on Adelaide Rd, that chaos had been reigning since shortly after midnight, when a deadly fire began tearing through the building.

Today is the one-year anniversary of the horror blaze which killed five people and left many more displaced and their possessions destroyed or contaminated.

A dawn memorial service is being held in Newtown, where there will be a blessing and the unveiling of a plaque. A kōwhai tree will also be planted in remembrance of the dead.

A plaque has this morning been unveiled to remember those killed in the Loafers Lodge fire. Photo / Azaria Howell

The fire broke out about 12.30am on May 16 last year. Residents in the boarding house spilled out onto the street, some barefoot and in pyjamas, as flames leapt from an upper level of the four-storey building.

“They were licking out of those windows, double the height and all the way up to the roof,” said resident Simon Hanify at the time.

The fire broke out shortly after midnight. Photo / Angelia Zhang

By 4am Hanify said fire crews had pumped so much water into the building it was “cascading” out of the windows – but the fire continued to burn. At the height of the blaze, 90 firefighters were working to bring it under control.

Witness Sunnie Chan and his family woke about 1am, roused by the noise and yelling.

“We opened the curtain and it was a full blaze like daylight. The fire was at the top floor, there were two fires on each end, one I could see was at the Basin Reserve side.”

By the time morning arrived, Wellington residents were being warned to keep their windows closed due to the risk of asbestos travelling on the breeze. Traffic was gridlocked in parts of the city as the emergency closed down a main route through the busy suburb of Newtown.

Some residents were taken to hospital while others were ushered to an evacuation centre.

Police and fire investigators on the top level of Loafers Lodge as they search the site of the deadly fire. Photo / George Heard

In the aftermath, police spent two weeks making sure everyone who lived in the hostel was accounted for. There were 99 people known to be residents at the time of the fire.

A methodical search of the building in the days following, hampered by heavy debris and building instability, revealed five bodies in the charred ruins of the hostel.

Police would later determine an alleged arsonist had set two fires in the hostel - one of which did not develop into a full blaze.

Who are the victims?

Peter Glenn O'Sullivan, 64, was killed in the fire.

The victims were Kenneth Barnard, 67, Liam James Hockings, 50, Peter Glenn O’Sullivan, 64, Melvin Joseph Parun, 68, and Michael Wahrlich, 67, known by many as Mike the Juggler.

A statement released by police on behalf of the Hockings family said: “We would like to thank everyone for their support and kindness at this time.”

Liam Hockings’ sister is BBC presenter Lucy Hockings, and he had met now-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins during his time at university, with the pair joining other activists to rally against the privatisation of education in 1997.

Liam James Hockings, 50.

Kenneth Barnard’s family described him as caring and kind.

“Kenneth was our brother, he was a funny little kid, a kindly boy who became a kindly man as he grew up,” the family statement said.

“His nephews and nieces adored him.

“His phone calls were always caring, and he was very patient when teased, which some of us did every time the opportunity presented itself.

“Rest in peace dear brother, we will really miss you.”

Melvin Joseph Parun was a Wellington lawyer.

Wellington’s legal community also shared memories of Melvin Parun, recalling him as a kind and eccentric criminal lawyer who was passionate about his work.

Parun left the country after a failed legal challenge against the Court of Appeal practice in the early 2000s of allowing High Court judges to temporarily sit on Court of Appeal cases.

Prominent human rights lawyer Tony Ellis described the case as “the beginning of the downfall of Mel”.

Most of Parun’s colleagues lost touch with him after he moved to Australia and had not realised he had moved back to New Zealand and was living in Loafers Lodge.

Michael Wahrlich, known in Wellington as Mike the Juggler.

About 400 people also attended Michael Wahrlich’s funeral online and in person.

Mourners from all walks of life trickled into the Newtown funeral home hosting the memorial - buskers, police, social workers, government bureaucrats, gang members - and the mayor.

Margaret Wahrlich, one of Mike’s four siblings, said the 67-year-old began juggling as a child, using oranges and lemons from the kitchen.

Her brother was a caring person, she said, who would be grieving for the other fire victims if he had survived.

“Our hearts go out to all the victims of the fire . . . condolences to their friends and family,” she said.

A tribute page by the Wilson Funeral Home said Wahrlich was a well-known Wellington street entertainer who brought joy to the lives of many people.

“He will be sadly missed by all the people who were lifted by his happy, laughing personality and were provided entertainment as they passed by him.”

Emergency services formed a guard of honour along a footpath near the hostel as they awaited the first body to be removed from Loafers Lodge. Photo / George Heard

What stage is the legal case at?

The man accused of taking five lives in the fateful arson attack began his journey through the court system by loudly exclaiming his innocence and swiftly firing his lawyer.

The man, who cannot be named yet, has since expressed through a new lawyer that he will likely rely on a defence of insanity when he goes to trial on five counts of murder and two of arson.

His jury trial is set down for later this year.

The 49-year-old’s first appearance in May last year, just days after the fatal blaze, was held in the Wellington District Court. Wearing a black hoodie and making hand gestures and wavy movements with his arms, the accused stomped back and forth in the dock and told the court he didn’t commit the arson.

“Someone else done it,” he announced.

He pointed at his lawyer, Doug Ewen, and told him he was fired.

The scene outside Loafers Lodge after the fire. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“You’re fired, you’re not my lawyer,” he said.

Heavy suppressions have covered many details at his future hearings. The suppressions are partly in place to protect his fair trial rights.

He is next due in court for a procedural hearing at the end of May.

What has changed?

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the loss of those who died is still keenly felt one year on from the tragedy.

In response to the fire, Penk has prioritised a review of fire safety provisions in the Building Code.

This is the first full review in over a decade and will focus on protecting people and property better.

“Changes in building uses, building materials, construction methods, and fire hazards have evolved since 2012. The review will identify modern solutions and ensure that the Building Code is fit for purpose and up to date”, Penk said.

“The review will consider the lessons learned from Loafers Lodge and other fire events in New Zealand and overseas, such as the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London where 72 people tragically lost their lives.”

The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has also completed an inspection of boarding houses across the country which are similar to Loafers Lodge.

It exposed more than 100 problems, including smoke detectors not working and unmonitored alarm systems.

The scene of the Loafers Lodge hostel fire in Newtown, Wellington on day three, 18 May 2023. Photo / George Heard

MBIE head of building system delivery and assurance Simon Thomas said 87 per cent of the problems they discovered have been resolved.

“There are several reasons why an issue hasn’t been resolved, including building owners waiting for the required expertise to perform the task, or the immediate risk has been addressed, but follow-up actions are needed to put together an application for a certificate of acceptance or populate the compliance schedule.”

The Government is introducing a new offence for negligent building inspectors and larger fines for property owners breaking the rules.

Building owners who fail to supply a Building Warrant of Fitness or display one will be fined $1000 instead of $250.

A new offence for inspectors who negligently issue compliance certificates will include fines of up to $50,000 for an individual and $150,000 for a body corporate.

MBIE has also followed up three cases of potential non-compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act, Thomas said.

“There are currently three ongoing assessments as the result of the operation, where they are working with boarding house operators to ensure they are meeting their landlord obligations for tenants, and healthy homes standards. Two assessments have continued to be investigated due to the identification of potential serious non-compliance.”

Updated fire safety systems for new buildings have also been published by MBIE.

These include requiring interconnected smoke alarms as a minimum throughout a residential home and bringing the requirements for fire safety systems in line with the latest industry standards.

Penk said these actions demonstrated the Government’s commitment to fire safety.

“The public can be assured that we take the matter very seriously and are acting decisively.”

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.