Hamilton marae fire: Community in shock after suspicious blaze guts meeting house

The burned wharenui at Hui Te Rangiora Marae in Hamilton. Photo / Natalie Akoorie, RNZ

By Pokere Paewai of RNZ

Police are treating a fire at Hui Te Rangiora Marae early on Sunday as suspicious.

The interior of the meeting house on Clarence St, named Tū Waerae, was gutted by the fire, while the external carvings were smoke damaged but remained relatively intact.

Jack Keogh, deputy chair of the marae committee, said whānau were in shock.

“I guess all the emotions that you experience when you lose a person,” he said.

Keogh said the marae is a place that has given so much to the people of the local community, from holding tangihanga to wānanga for schools.

“There’s smoke damage to the koruru but the other [exterior] carvings seem to be ok. [The] inside is totally gone, so all the tukutuku panels and the photos inside are totally burnt down to the foundations.

“But the mahau (porch) and the carvings at this stage they look to have a bit of damage but considering the rest of the whare they’re still ok.”

The marae was built in the 1960s and opened in 1966 by the Māori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu.

It was originally associated with the Catholic Church, and while it still is, the marae is open to everybody who needs a marae, Keogh said.

The burned wharenui at Hui Te Rangiora Marae in Hamilton. Photo / Natalie Akoorie, RNZ

Many whānau and locals have come down to the marae since the fire to grieve, he said.

“While we can’t go inside the whare just being in front of it to deal with the shock I suppose. So right now as a marae [we’re] just looking to manaaki our community, our whānau that are wishing to come down and grieve.”

Keogh said the immediate job of the marae committee was to support the whānau who are feeling the loss of the wharenui then work out what the next steps are.

“On behalf of the marae... we want to express our aroha to all those who have sent messages and their support, so just a big thank you for all the kind words we’re getting from the community.”

The cause of the fire was unknown.

Firefighters were called to the Clarence Street property shortly before 1am on Sunday, and remained there for more than three hours.

At its peak, crew from nine fire trucks were fighting the blaze.

- RNZ