Fire destroys family's bach and holiday spirit

A UK couple had bought the old Catholic church and were planning to spend New Year there. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Jonathan Jervis is struggling to find any Christmas spirit after his holiday home burned to the ground.

The former UK man and his wife, Cheryl, bought the old Catholic church in Waimarama three months ago and had it converted into a bach.

Work on the four-bedroom home was to be completed this week and the couple, with their three school-aged sons, had planned to celebrate New Year there.

"We're gutted," Mr Jervis told Hawke's Bay Today.

"Insurance takes care of the loss in the long term, but what insurance can't replace is a building which is part of Hawkes Bay's history."

As Christians, the Jervis family had been excited about being able to convert a house of God into a holiday home.

"That's not something you can recreate," Mr Jervis said.

An attempt had been made to burn the property down three weeks ago, leaving scorch marks on the planks covering the piles. The building was also burgled recently, and powertools belonging to the builders were stolen.

Mr Jervis said their dream of a beach summer holiday with family and friends had been destroyed by the fire on Monday night. Nothing was salvageable.

"It's just very sad that people would want to destroy not only someone else's property, but historical property."

The alarm was raised at 10.46pm by passing motorists, and local volunteers were the first to respond.

Havelock North Volunteer Fire Service deputy chief Rod Triplow said if it weren't for the Waimarama Unit arriving with their water tanker and pump it was "very likely" the fire would have spread to a neighbouring house. Instead, it had only minor damage, caused by the heat.

"They contained the fire and protected the house next door and did a really good job of that," he said of the locals who responded to the fire.

By the time the Havelock North brigade arrived, with two trucks and 10 firefighters, and a water tanker from Hastings with four firefighters from the Heretaunga Unit arrived, the fire was "well involved".

The firefighters did not leave the scene until 3am, and Mr Triplow said that after the long night putting out the fire, today would be a "long day at work".

Hastings District Council deputy principal rural fire officer Paul Hawke said the property owner next door was at home at the time of the fire. Gas bottles had caused concern, he said.

"It was a matter of keeping them cool from the neighbouring house. Unfortunately, because of time and distance, the fire got hold. It's a very old building."

Hastings CIB Detective Constable Sally Patrick said police were investigating the suspicious fire.

- Hawke's Bay Today