Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua flat gutted in mystery blaze

Kelly Makiha
By Kelly Makiha
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
10 Jul, 2012 10:55 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Joel Williams popped out from his Rotorua home for an hour to take his daughter to martial arts, but when he got back he found his flat on fire.

The father was last night watching as firefighters sifted through the remains of his flat in Monokia St, off Fairy Springs Rd, thankful he and his two young children, Jacinta, 7, and Tiaki, 6, were not hurt.

"I'm just grateful it happened when it did and not at night while we were sleeping.''

Mr Williams said they had closed the doors in the flat, which stopped the fire from spreading to the bedrooms, but all  their possessions in the living area, including furniture, a laptop and electrical items were destroyed.

"But that's okay. I'm just pleased it happened when it did. Stuff can be replaced, people can't.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Fire investigators are still trying to determine the exact cause of the blaze, but it appears it started in the ceiling.

Mr Williams, who lives at the flat with a friend, had his children staying with him during the school holidays.

He told The Daily Post last night he had taken his daughter to martial arts about 5pm and returned about 6pm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"As I opened the door, I realised there was smoke. I thought it was just the fireplace at first and didn't think anything of it so I opened the door some more.''

Mr Williams then saw flames darting across the floor in front of the log burner. He ran to his neighbour's in the front flat, who were standing on their porch.

"I yelled out `do you have a fire extinguisher?' but they didn't. By the time I got back, it had grown really quick and I realised there was nothing I could do.''

He put his children in the car and moved it away from the house to make room for the firefighters.

Mr Williams had just brought smoke alarms yesterday but hadn't  installed them.

"I got them because the fire was smoking a bit ... I had only just brought them home.''

Mr Williams said despite losing his possessions, he was upbeat because he knew it could have been worse.

Rotorua Fire Service senior station officer Colin Rolfe said the flat was well alight when firefighters arrived about 6pm.

Mr Rolfe said the cause of the fire was still being investigated but it was not considered suspicious.

He said the neighbouring flat wasn't at risk because there was a fire wall built between the two dwellings.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Two fire appliances attended with eight firefighters who got the blaze under control.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Huge opportunity': Hamilton Airport goes international

22 May 05:02 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

KiwiSaver and Best Start cut, Working for Families boosted in Budget changes

22 May 05:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Education’s $2.5b Budget boost: Where the money is going

22 May 07:46 AM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
'Huge opportunity': Hamilton Airport goes international
Waikato Herald

'Huge opportunity': Hamilton Airport goes international

22 May 05:02 PM
Morning quiz: What is the scientific name for polar bears?
New Zealand

Morning quiz: What is the scientific name for polar bears?

22 May 05:00 PM
Chase A Dream rollercoaster hits another low
Racing

Chase A Dream rollercoaster hits another low

22 May 05:00 PM
'Symbol of hope': Winning photo 'reclaims Māori narrative' amid cultural unrest
New Zealand

'Symbol of hope': Winning photo 'reclaims Māori narrative' amid cultural unrest

22 May 05:00 PM
Rugby: Kaierau ready for Border challenge
Sponsored Stories

Rugby: Kaierau ready for Border challenge

22 May 05:00 PM

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Huge opportunity': Hamilton Airport goes international

'Huge opportunity': Hamilton Airport goes international

22 May 05:02 PM

Flights to Australia start soon, but there could be other destinations in the future.

KiwiSaver and Best Start cut, Working for Families boosted in Budget changes

KiwiSaver and Best Start cut, Working for Families boosted in Budget changes

22 May 05:00 PM
Education’s $2.5b Budget boost: Where the money is going

Education’s $2.5b Budget boost: Where the money is going

22 May 07:46 AM
 Egregious or reasonable? Economists split over student loan repayment threshold freeze

Egregious or reasonable? Economists split over student loan repayment threshold freeze

22 May 07:25 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search