Raglan businesses lost in early morning blaze

Firefighters work to bring flames at the wharf buildings on Wallis St under control. Photo / Supplied

Stephen Reid was awakened earlier than normal yesterday morning by a ringing phone.

He thought it must be "some kind of emergency" and his fears were confirmed when a friend told him to get down to Raglan wharf where his kayaking business was engulfed in flames.

"I could see the shop from the house ... it looked like someone had dropped a bomb on it," he said.

"It was a bit of a shock to wake up to."

Next to Mr Reid's business of four years shared with wife Candide were Raglan Seafoods, which locals say makes the best fish and chips in town, Tony Sly's pottery studio and the Coastguard office - all of which were also in flames.

An enormous plume of black smoke rising from the 50m by 50m building was visible from as far away as Hamilton. Raglan residents reported the flames were higher than a 20m cement silo nearby.

"It's devastating, not just for us but the whole town ... we had a good thing going there, it was quite rustic, you know," said Mr Reid.

The fire destroyed not only the Reids' kayaking equipment but most of their personal possessions, stored at their business as the home they rent is fully furnished.

Keith Redman, who lives on a property overlooking Raglan Harbour next to the wharf, awoke about 6am to a car tooting its horn.

"I thought it was a bloody boatie and I was about to say 'give us a break, it's early in the morning', when I looked out the window and saw all the smoke pouring past," he said.

"The whole building was on fire and there's an almost completed fibreglass yacht in there with drums of resin and acetone ... if that had gone up we wouldn't be standing here. The thing would still be burning now.

Raglan councillor Clint Baddeley said the loss of the local businesses would be sorely felt by the tight-knit community.

"We were just starting to get to the stage where it [the wharf] was happening as a destination in Raglan."

He said 20 jobs were lost.

Raglan Fire Brigade chief fire officer Kevin Holmes said it was too early to say what had caused the fire and an investigation was under way.

The Waikato District Council was to have undertaken a comprehensive study on the future of the wharf but was understood to be happy with renovations and developments to the site under its leaseholder.