Fire in built environment

A fire investigator was called to an early morning blaze at an oyster farm in Maraetotara, Whakatāne, on Friday.
Video taken of the scene showed a building belonging to Tio Ōhiwa, formerly known as Ōhiwa Oyster farm, engulfed in flames just after 5am.
Tio Ōhiwa was one of the first 100% Māori-owned oyster farms in the world, owners told Stuff in 2024.
Wini Geddes, who co-owns the farm with her husband Simon, said the fire appeared to have started near the processing area.
Geddes said the circumstances around the blaze had raised serious concerns, with early indications pointing to a possible deliberate cause.
“There was no obvious ignition source; no power, no oil, nothing around that area,” she said.
“A fire investigator used the word ‘incendiary’, which essentially means it could have been deliberately lit, but they still have to complete their full report.”
She said the layout of the area made the origin of the fire particularly concerning.
“Next to the smoker is the manuka, and then beside that is where we keep cardboard packaging that we usually clear out on Fridays,” she said.
“That is what we think was lit.”
“We got an alert about someone walking around just after 5am, and then not long after that, the fire service called us,” she said.
She said the situation was “super scary”, particularly given how close the fire came to key parts of the operation.
“It was near our processing barn and around our iconic smoker… it could have been a lot worse.”
Despite the scare, Geddes said the damage was relatively contained thanks to such a quick emergency response.
“The fire station is just around the corner, so they were here within minutes. We’re incredibly grateful for that.”
Geddes said while the incident had shaken the team, it would not derail their vision for the farm.
“We’re not going to lose our oyster farm. We’ll keep going… there’s still plenty of work we can do while we get everything sorted.”
She also acknowledged the outpouring of support from the community.
“We’ve had a lot of messages already, that manaakitanga goes both ways, and we really feel it at a time like this.”
Fire and Emergency received multiple calls to a building fire at 5.03am, and a shift manager told Stuff the fire was in a 5m by 5m utilities shed.
Three crews from Ōhope, Whakatāne and Edgecumb, were in attendance alongside support vehicles.

‘Strange glow’ captured passerby’s attention
Joshua Henare Rogers was driving past the farm around 5am this morning when he saw a “a strange glow”.
“As I got much closer I realised that part of the Ōhiwa Oyster Farm was on fire,” he said.
Rogers pulled over and put his hazards on before seeing another man who spotted the fire attempting to find something to help put it out.
He was one of many people who called 111, he said, and the fire looked contained under some corrugated iron-like material.
Tio Ōhiwa was an “icon” in the area since Rogers was born in the 70s, he said.
“It could almost be known over the whole country or definitely most North Islanders will probably know it,” said Rogers.
“It's a great place to call in for fish and chips and obviously the oysters.”
The fire was now over, the shift manager said, and a fire investigator was on scene undertaking their enquiries.
Police said they were notified of the fire on Wainui Rd at 7.15am, and were working with firefighters to determine the circumstances of the incident.
No injuries were reported.
Tio Ōhiwa provided a media statement saying they’re thankful to the public for reporting the fire so quickly, and said the farm will be open on Friday and throughout the weekend.
“If anyone has any information that may assist with the investigation, we encourage them to contact Police,” said Tio Ōhiwa.
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Stuff