Rotorua Brass Band building blaze 'devastating' for conductor

About 120 years' worth of history has "gone" after the Rotorua Brass Band rooms were destroyed in an early morning blaze.

The Rotorua Brass Band rooms went up in flames yesterday morning, destroying band equipment, instruments, photos, and honours boards.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said crews were called to the scene on Amohau St just before 6am 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."

Fire and Emergency NZ crews at the scene this morning. Photo / Ben Fraser

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 firefighter at the scene. Photo / Ben Fraser

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said 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.

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

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

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.