Historic ship Tui on fire near Paihia's Waitangi Bridge
Photo:
Supplied
A historic ship is on fire by the Waitangi Bridge in Paihia.
The Tui is a three-masted sailing ship that has been a feature of the Waitangi waterfront since the late Kelly Tarlton bought the historic vessel and used it to house his finds from a lifetime of exploring shipwrecks.
It has recently changed ownership and Kerikeri-based TriOceans marine research institute had
started restoring the vessel
for use as a community space and marine education facility.
Four fire crews are fighting the blaze after Fire and Emergency received multiple calls about it after 4am.
"The timber ship is fully on fire and is already significantly damaged."
Fire and Emergency believe the fire to be suspicious.
The Tui.
Photo:
RNZ / Peter de Graaf
A witness told
Morning Report
the ship had been let go in the past few years and it was a bit of an eyesore but the community had good news when it had been sold.
"I think they'd delivered $15,000 worth of materials in there yesterday and now she's gone up in flames."
Derek Gerritsen from Big Fish Bay of Island said the top deck was on fire and the whole back of the ship was burnt out when he was at the scene.
"She's fully engulfed in flames," he said.
"I don't think there'll be much left of it."
There were already rumours going around the community about the suspicious nature of the fire, he said.
No one was on board the ship overnight.
"The fire is generating some smoke around Paihia and Waitangi and people are advised to avoid the area and keep windows shut," Fire and Emergency says.
It was not yet known how the fire started.
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