Local punters pitch in to save pub

Vulcan publican Jude Kavanagh shouts for the dozen or more district residents who spent an hour fighting yesterday's fire. Photo / Lynda Van Kempen

When word got around that the historic Vulcan Hotel was threatened by fire last night, the locals turned up in droves to save their watering hole.

As St Bathans farmer Lyall Gray put it: "When we thought the pub might go on fire, we were here in a jiffy.''

Fanned by winds gusting up to 110kmh, a fire on the hill behind the hotel came within a few
metres of the historic building.

"It was pretty scary and we were bloody lucky the wind turned when it did, '' the relieved
publican and co-owner of the hotel, Jude Kavanagh said, in between serving drinks to the
volunteers who helped out.

Late yesterday afternoon, her husband Michael said he smelled smoke.

"I smoke, so he asked me if I'd been smoking but I hadn't even lit a cigarette,'' she said.
About 6pm, he said there was a fire behind the hotel, and to phone the emergency services.

As well as doing that, Mrs Kavanagh phoned "about 15 people from around the district,
because I knew the fire brigade would have to travel and it would be a wee while before they
could get here''.

"Within minutes, I reckon, the locals started to arrive and they were using spades and hoses
and buckets of water, fighting the fire. It was a great turnout and it's good to know you've got
that local support.''

By then, flames were licking at the base of a stand of old poplar trees, one of which was blown
over in yesterday's wind.

Firefighters from Omakau, Blackstone Hill and Ranfurly brigades also turned up, as well as
a rural fire officer.

Otago Rural Fire Authority principal rural fire officer Stephanie Rotarangi said the weather
conditions were "certainly challenging''.

"It was challenging across the whole of Otago and, by and large, we got away with it.

"The St Bathans fire was a very lucky save. It came close to the buildings and, if it escaped
up that hill behind the hotel, it would have been very difficult to control because of the wind,
the slope and the fire fuel.''

Wind gusts at the site were measured at 110kmh at the time of the fire, she said. Firefighting
equipment had been placed at a satellite location, at Becks, because of the high fire risk and
winds expected yesterday.

The cause of the fire was not known at this stage.

The Vulcan was built from mud-brick in 1882 and has Category 1 status as a historic place with
Heritage New Zealand. The hotel gained some notoriety in the 1990s and early 2000s, after
reports of a ghost in residence.

A heavy downpour of rain on Sunday caused a small flood when water came in under the door,
Mrs Kavanagh said.

"Now we've had the flood and a fire we don't need anything else.''