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Volunteer firefighters were quick to extinguish a blaze at Waipara Hotel, north of Christchurch, keeping the pub open for business and ready for the influx of people arriving to see Joe Cocker in concert at a nearby winery tonight.
Southern Fire communications said units from two stations were sent at about 9am.
"When they got there the back of the building was well involved and it spread to the roof area."
With four pumps on site by the time it was out, firefighters said the damage was minimal.
"It's only a couple of hundred metres from where they are having the big concert with Joe Cocker tonight. [The hotel owners] have told us `rest assured they will be operating as normal'," a fire service spokesman said.
Cocker is appearing tonight at `a day on the green', a concert at Mudhouse Winery in Waipara.
- NZPA
