(File photo) Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Firefighters have extinguished a fire at the Cloverlea Tavern in Palmerston North, but will be there overnight hunting out the last hotspots.
The blaze at the sports bar may have been started by a power box.
FENZ says the fire on Tremain Avenue in the suburb of Highbury was reported at about 2.15pm on Saturday. It had been brought under control by early evening with eight crews working to combat the flames, and was out by 9pm.
Police had closed down part of Tremain Ave, and surrounding streets as fire crews worked at the scene.
One crew was to remain at the tavern overnight into Sunday mopping up hotspots.
Posting on social media the Cloverlea Tavern said staff and patrons had got out safely and they appreciated the speedy actions of customers as the fire took hold.
Another person posted that the flames were massive.
Late on Saturday afternoon there were eight crews at the scene.
A FENZ spokesperson said as well as fighting the fire at the tavern, crews also extinguished a nearby power box that was on fire, which was related to the incident.
Fire investigators were at the scene on Saturday, and an investigation had been started to find the cause of the fire.
