A woman who was among the first on the scene of a large fire in the old Fitzherbert bar in central Palmerston North says the flames grew fast.
The blaze in the closed down student pub on Ferguson Street prompted widespread text warnings from Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ), warning people in the city to stay indoors and keep windows closed.
The fire was substantial, and started about 5.15pm Thursday, a FENZ spokesperson told RNZ.
Photo: Supplied
Karyn Formby said she was passing the empty building about 5pm, when she saw smoke rising and flames licking through the windows.
People were stopping to watch or film the fire as it began to grow, she said, and a strong wind was fanning the flames.
"And then it just got big very, very fast," Formby said.
"Really black smoke, flames were just way on top of the roof, and it was really chaotic - people were, at that point, everywhere."
Photo: Supplied/ Wayne Belk
Photo: Supplied/ Jimmy Ellingham
Formby said a number of fire crews turned up a short time later, and she joined a small group of people helping to drag hoses and direct traffic, with the blaze causing people to stop in unsafe places on the road outside.
"The wind was really blowing those flames east," Formby said. "You kind of think, this is not going to be an isolated building [affected]."
Huge flames and a large cloud of black smoke could be seen billowing up from the large building during the evening, including from near the part of the building that housed a Super Liquor store.
"The fire is producing a large amount of smoke, so please avoid the area, and if you live nearby close your windows and doors and stay inside if possible to avoid the smoke," FENZ said.
Safety alerts were sent out to Palmerston North residents as far away as the suburb of Highbury, on the opposite side of the city, advising people to stay indoors, and also to consider turning off their air conditioning and heat pumps.
FENZ told RNZ it could not yet confirm if there was asbestos present in the building.
Ten fire crews worked on dousing the fire and protecting the buildings. By about 8pm the fire had been "contained to the building of origin", FENZ said, then followed up shortly after to say it was under control.
By 9:30pm, crews were able to concentrate on working to dampen remaining hotspots, which they warned could still take a few hours.
"Heavy machinery is being brought in to help demolish parts of the building so crews can fully extinguish all hotspots. This process will be ongoing into the evening."
The empty building had been barricaded off long before the fire. Photo: Supplied / Clare Mcilhatton
Photo: Supplied/ Mike Dixon
The Fitz opened in 1966, and was known for its raucous atmosphere and sticky floors. It has been boarded up since it closed in 2008.
In August 2024, Stuff reported the building was to be removed, but there were no plans at the time for developing the site.
In 2021, another landmark Palmerston North bar, High Flyers, was badly damaged by fire, and in February last year, the Cloverlea Tavern was destroyed in a blaze - it had been open for 50 years and was home to the Kia Toa rugby and netball clubs.
The fire broke out in a large building on Ferguson Drive, Palmerston North, opposite a Pak'n Save supermarket and petrol station. Photo: Supplied - Greg Olsen
Photo: Supplied / Clare Mcilhatton
Photo: Supplied - Tracey Turner
Photo: Supplied/ Mike Dixon
Photo: Supplied/ Mike Dixon
Photo: Supplied/ Wayne Belk
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