A fire at the Golden Globe on Fenton St in December last year. Photo / Andrew Warner
A cocktail of factors could have caused a fire to rip through an emergency housing motel on Rotorua's Fenton St but the exact cause will never be known.
Fire investigators were unable to complete a full investigation into the cause of the fire at the Golden Glow Motel on December 30 last year because the structure of the building was too unsafe for a fire investigator to take a closer look.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand incident report released to the Rotorua Daily Post under the Official Information Act said the fire started on the second level inside one of the units.
The floor space had holes through the floor and water used to extinguish the fire was adding to the floor crumbling away, the report said.
This meant it was unsafe for a fire investigator to go through the rubble and determine the cause.
All those staying at the motel were Ministry of Social Development clients in emergency housing.
The incident report said the occupier of the motel unit that caught fire was interviewed by police and said they left the unit, locked the door and went to get some food.
The fire started while the person was gone. The person told police the fire could have started several ways.
These included an incense stick that was burning in a crochet hanging pot plant, a hotplate on the top of the stove that might have been left on and a heater being used to dry clothes inside the unit - the clothes were reportedly hanging over the heater.
The unit occupier also told police they smoked cigarettes but they said they always went outside to do this. Police noted there were no ashtrays or cigarettes butts outside.
The incident report said the cause of the fire had to be recorded as undetermined.
"There was no evidence reported that would indicate this to be an incendiary fire, however, given that a full scene examination could not be done, this could not be completely discounted."
At the time of the fire, another emergency housing resident told the Rotorua Daily Post they had to flee their room as the fire ripped through the floor above her.
Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Mike Bryant said at the time 11 clients had received financial support to stay at the Golden Glow Motel and alternative accommodation was arranged.
The motel comprises standalone buildings. The damaged building was demolished a week after the fire but the motel is still operating out of the other standalone buildings.
A person who is in emergency housing at the motel told the Rotorua Daily Post the fire had had a big impact on those living there.
"At the time it was really scary, it's had long-lasting effects on some of those living here and has triggered them."
The person said no one knew the property was ablaze until the police banged on their doors screaming "fire". Once they all got out, they had no choice but to stand there and watch it burn, not knowing if it would reach their belongings.
They had struggled to sleep since the fire, worried that someone might drop a cigarette butt or do something silly to cause another blaze.
"You hear every noise and it makes you nervous."
