Stables destroyed in blaze
A 100-year-old Horowhenua stable was razed by fire as flames thought to be five metres high engulfed the building.
A large stable at the AP&I Showgrounds in Levin burnt down in the early hours of yesterday morning. No-one was injured and the stable was empty at the time.
Firefighters were called to the sizeable fire about 1.45am and worked on the blaze until just before 4am. Flames clung to every beam of the long building.
The building collapsed and all that was left were piles of corrugated iron from the roof and charred building frames. Parts were still smouldering in the afternoon.
The massive fire was metres away from the home of Brittany and Toni Spencer, whose house backs on to the showgrounds right behind the stables.
Brittany Spencer said she heard breaking glass and thought someone was going through their rubbish, then opened the curtains to see an orange glow coming from the blaze.
She said the smoke was billowing into their property. ‘‘I was calling the fire brigade and I was in a bit of shock.’’
The family’s bird aviary, filled with cockatiels, is at the back of the property and the family had to take the birds out to save them. The plastic covering at the back of the aviary melted.
‘‘It was so hot,’’ Toni Spencer said. I went to grab the ladder, but I could feel how hot the ladder was. We’ve got [an outdoor playhouse] and I climbed up on the [playhouse] and it was so hot.
‘‘The back of the garage is scorched and the whole back of the [playhouse] is charcoaled and the bird aviary is charcoaled.’’
Toni Spencer started hosing the playhouse, fence and aviary to prevent them catching fire. The posts and rails holding the fence up have been burnt and blackened.
Levin AP&I Association manager Jo Roberts said the main, fully enclosed stable burnt down.
Although the stable block was old, it had been well maintained and last year had a new roof put on at a cost of about $7000.
The association had insurance and was working through that process, Roberts said.