A historic ship in the Bay of Islands destroyed by fire this morning has been described as a significant loss of history.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews have brought the fire on The Tui in Paihia under control after being called to the blaze about 4am.

Community risk manager and assistant commander Mitchell Brown said the fire began on the ship, which had been converted into a building on land next to the Waitangi Bridge.

“Sadly, the structure is about 90% destroyed, which is a significant loss of history to the community.”

Boat owners Cat and Thibaud Guerin stood in the rain this morning “gutted” to see their plans go up in flames.

The Tui's newest owners Thibaud and Cat Guerin who had plans to turn the boat into a marine education centre. Photo / Jenny Ling

The couple were in the process of transforming the boat into a marine education centre.

They had recently obtained funding “after years of planning”, Cat Geurin said.

“It’s been a lot of work and a labour of love. It’s been 10 years in the making. Ten years to buy it and get the funding to do it.”

Cat Guerin said the boat had been empty since 2014 and had a history of break-ins.

But whether the fire was deliberate or caused by an electrical fault, it was “history lost,” she said.

Investigator Graeme Matthews said building work was to be carried out on the boat today, and power had been “isolated” and security cameras turned off.

However, there were security cameras on the street nearby and at the marae.

Timbers that would drop into the water and damage the whenua had to be removed from the site.

Brown said it was a complex mission to extinguish the fire as two structures were involved – the barge and the copy vessel built around it.

He said that made it difficult to get water between the foundations.

Fortunately, it was low tide, which meant parts of the structure that had been damaged could be recovered.

Brown said they were working to dampen down hot spots and fire investigators were on site.

Matthews said it was too early to ascertain what started the fire.

“The priority is getting debris off the foreshore before high tide, as we don’t want debris from the boat washed into the sea. There are environmental concerns there.”

Matthews called the boat an “icon of the Bay of Islands”.

Though it was an “absolute shame”, the main thing was no one was hurt, he said.

He would be speaking today with the first arriving crews, property owners and locals who witnessed the fire.

Brown said alongside dealing with the structure, fire crews were also concerned about the impact on the local community.

Nearby was a popular pipi collecting spot, so the harbourmaster was working to use containment booms to keep soot away.

Bay of Islands Community Board member Roddy Pihema said the Tui was just a boat for some people but to others it was a reminder of a great man, Kelly Tarlton.

“He bought this history of Northland alive in this ship. It was more than a ship lost here, it was a history of the Bay.”

Crews were also liaising with the Northland Regional Council, Far North District Council, local iwi and the harbourmaster.

At its peak, there were seven fire crews from Paihia, Kerikeri, Kawakawa and Whangārei at the scene and about 30 people on site.

Fire and Emergency earlier this morning said the fire was generating some smoke around Paihia and Waitangi, and people were advised to avoid the area and keep windows shut.

The early morning blaze aboard the Tui meant residents were encouraged to avoid the area and keep windows shut. Photo / Jenny Ling

 
Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze on a historic ship The Tui by the Waitangi Bridge in Paihia. Photo / Derek Gerritsen

The TriOceans Marine Research Institute had announced earlier this year it was making moves to restore the vessel.

A spokesperson said this latest development is a huge blow and a shock, and they were looking forward to developing the ship and bringing it back to the community.

They are waiting for officials to allow them to get closer to the scene.

Police are working with fire and emergency investigators to determine their next steps.

“Roads directly surrounding the fire are closed, however, the road over the Waitangi Bridge remains clear,” a spokesperson said.