5 Nov 2013

Cause unknown of Cooks bakery fire

3:02 pm on 5 November 2013

The Cooks Islands fire service says it won't know the cause of the recent fire on Rarotonga until investigations are complete.

The blaze destroyed the oldest bakery, Turoa Bakery and the Saltwater Cafe in Vaimaanga, early on Saturday.

The fire burned the cafe and bakery to the ground and also burned out a delivery van parked nearby.

Firefighters also had to deal with overhead power lines that snapped due to the heat of the fire.

"The deputy fire service officer, Willy Hagai, says insurance investigators from New Zealand will arrive in the country tomorrow [weds nzt] as part of the investigations."

Our local investigators have also been through it and we've just cordoned the area off and are waiting for these two to arrive.

Willy Hagai says also police have completed investigations into two fires which destroyed classrooms at two separate schools last month.