A blaze at the old Fitzherbert bar in Palmerston North has been deemed suspicious. Photo / Clare Mcilhatton
By RNZ
A blaze at an old asbestos-filled pub that closed several schools around Palmerston North has been deemed suspicious.
Investigators have been at the scene of a fast-spreading fire at the old Fitzherbert bar.
The blaze started about 5.45pm on Thursday and grew to a large fire which cast dark plumes of smoke over the central city.
“The fire is deemed suspicious, and a scene examination is being undertaken,” Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Deegan said.
“Police would like to hear from any members of the public who may have seen any suspicious persons at the premises.”
Fire and Emergency earlier confirmed there was asbestos in the old pub.
As a result, nearby Monrad Intermediate, Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School and College Street Normal School closed and said they may need specialist testing.
They were shut because of the risk air conditioning systems, water supply, and outdoor areas could be affected by asbestos.
Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School principal Hamish Ruawai told Nine to Noon they erred on the side of safety.
“We’ve got a team coming in from Hazmats to come and do a bit of a check with us and I think the other schools are going to be using those people as well just to make sure we are nice and safe to open again.”
Ruawai said he was doing job interviews when he first noticed the fire.
“I was looking out my window and I saw the smoke and it was certainly ablaze when we got out there.”
He said they made the decision to close after consultation with the Ministry of Health.
Palmerston North station senior officer Hayden Robinson told Nine to Noon the “iconic Fitz building” which many students used to frequent had been boarded up for some time.
“At about quarter-past-five yesterday afternoon we responded to the building itself on fire, and yeah, due to the layout of the building itself she went up pretty quickly.”
Robinson said he was happy with the emergency alert that went out to Palmerston North residents.
“Instead of knocking on a thousand odd doors you can put a message out as quick as possible.”
Fire and Emergency NZ said the last fire crew at the scene left at 1.50am this morning.
A text alert was sent out to locals by Fire and Emergency NZ warning them to stay indoors and keep windows closed.
A woman who was among the first on the scene of the fire in the closed down student pub on Ferguson St said the flames grew fast.
Karyn Formby said she was passing the empty building about 5pm, when she saw smoke rising and flames licking through the windows.
People were stopping to watch or film the fire as it began to grow, she said, and a strong wind was fanning the flames.
“And then it just got big very, very fast,” Formby said.
“Really black smoke, flames were just way on top of the roof, and it was really chaotic – people were, at that point, everywhere.”
Formby said a number of fire crews turned up a short time later, and she joined a small group of people helping to drag hoses and direct traffic, with the blaze causing people to stop in unsafe places on the road outside.
“The wind was really blowing those flames east,” Formby said. “You kind of think, this is not going to be an isolated building [affected].”
Huge flames and a large cloud of black smoke could be seen billowing up from the large building during the evening, including from near the part of the building that housed a Super Liquor store.
“The fire is producing a large amount of smoke, so please avoid the area, and if you live nearby close your windows and doors and stay inside if possible to avoid the smoke,” Fire and Emergency NZ said.
Safety alerts were sent out to Palmerston North residents as far away as the suburb of Highbury, on the opposite side of the city, advising people to stay indoors, and also to consider turning off air conditioning and heat pumps.
Ten fire crews worked on dousing the fire and protecting the buildings. By about 8pm the fire had been “contained to the building of origin”, Fire and Emergency NZ said, then followed up shortly after to say it was under control.
By 9.30pm, crews were able to concentrate on working to dampen remaining hotspots, which they warned could still take a few hours.
“Heavy machinery is being brought in to help demolish parts of the building so crews can fully extinguish all hotspots. This process will be ongoing into the evening.”
The Fitz opened in 1966, and was known for its raucous atmosphere and sticky floors. It has been boarded up since it closed in 2008.
In August 2024, Stuff reported the building was to be removed, but there were no plans at the time for developing the site.
In 2021, another landmark Palmerston North bar, High Flyers, was badly damaged by fire, and in February last year, the Cloverlea Tavern was destroyed in a blaze – it had been open for 50 years and was home to the Kia Toa rugby and netball clubs.
Palmerston North’s mayor thanked locals for staying clear of the fire.
Grant Smith told RNZ it was a big blaze that happened near restaurants and supermarkets, on a major route in the city.
“It is really close to a big working hotel, a number of supermarkets, fast food outlets – so it was very, very visual.”
Smith said the building did seem to cause a lot of black smoke.
-RNZ