Rotorua Brass Band building fire cause yet to be determined

A fire at the Rotorua Brass Band building at the weekend is now being treated as suspicious.

The Rotorua Brass Band building was destroyed in the early Sunday morning blaze and
a spokeswoman for Fire and Emergency New Zealand today said a fire investigator and police attended the scene yesterday.

In a statement police said an investigation was under way following the "suspicious fire involving a car and a building".

Police want to hear from anyone who saw a person leaving the area of Rotorua Brass Band and Shambles Theatre (near the Pak 'n' Save carpark) on Amohau St , between 5.30am and 6am on Sunday.

Anyone with information should contact police on 105 or online at www.police.govt.nz/use-105 using 'Update My Report', referencing file number 221002/0803.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Rotorua Brass Band hall destroyed by fire. Photo / Andrew Warner

Crews were called to the scene on Amohau St just before 6am on Sunday and found a building and a car "fully involved" in fire.

Rotorua Brass Band conductor Glen Botting said it was "pretty devastating". He was notified of the fire by the security company at 5.55am.

"The whole building is completely gone ... we've pretty much lost all our percussion gear."

Botting said he was still working out how much money's worth of equipment had been lost in the blaze.

"The percussion gear and timpanis ... that adds up super fast. Your marimbas and stuff you can pay $20,000 or $30,000 for some of that sort of stuff.

"It's a lot of money."

Rotorua Brass Band hall destroyed by fire. Photo / Andrew Warner

Botting said the insurance company had been notified.

"We've saved a little bit of history and instruments and stuff, obviously most of them damaged and I guess the rest of it we'll just have to walk away from and then see where we go from there."

Botting said the building had about 120 years' worth of history.

"Some parts of this building are very old ... there's a lot of history that's all just gone. All the photos, honours boards.

"Our equipment is lent out all over the place ... groups all over the country including youth bands and camps ... this is going to affect a lot of people."

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said on Sunday firefighters had extinguished the blaze and a fire investigator had been called. He believed the car, which had also been on fire, was inside the building.

Firefighters dampen down the Rotorua Symphonic Band building on Sunday morning. Photo / Ben Fraser

A police spokesman said police were at the scene helping with traffic management.

A Rotorua Daily Post photographer, who attended the scene, said the building was significantly damaged and it appeared part of the roof had collapsed.

At least four appliances were called to the scene as well as police.