A fire that gutted popular Ric’s Restaurant at luxury golf course Te Arai Links was potentially caused by an electrical fault with a lithium-powered service cart.

Fire and Emergency assistant district commander Rhys Wirihana said an investigator’s preliminary report outlined how the fire started near where the cart was stored.

Wirihana said the cart was not connected or charging at the time of the fire, and the investigation findings were preliminary.

His comments came after a diner on Monday claimed a greenskeeper’s vehicle had caught fire behind the building.

A Te Arai Links spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the cause of the fire while an investigation was underway, and they would await its findings before providing further detail.

Ric’s Restaurant went up in flames on Sunday about 10am. Diners were hurriedly evacuated as the blaze spread through the building.

“The staff did an absolutely fantastic job of evacuating the people to safety,” Wirihana said.

A guest having breakfast at the restaurant when the fire broke out said they watched the fire get “worse and worse” as it spread through the building.

Staff reportedly tried to put the fire out themselves using extinguishers but were unsuccessful.

About 20 people were evacuated first to a carpark and later to Ocean Restaurant, one of six hospitality venues on site.

Wirihana was at the Whangārei Fire Station preparing for Cyclone Vaianu when the call came through.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand was notified by 111.

Wirihana responded as the senior officer on scene to assist the incident controller. When he arrived, the fire had gone from being well-involved to a “structural collapse”.

Ric's Restaurant at luxury golf course Te Arai Links was gutted in a blaze over the weekend. Photo / Dean Purcell

Support came from Wellsford, Mangawhai, Kaiwaka, Maungaturoto, Leigh, Paproa and Whangārei.

The fire was within 100m of the local boundary, meaning they could call on firefighters from both sides.

“I think they did a great job getting the fire under control, and it was a real collaborative approach,” Wirihana said.

Strong winds made it difficult to extinguish the fire, and the building’s location meant crews could only fight it from two sides.

There was a risk of losing corrugated iron roofing in the wind, reducing the response from four sides to two.

The diner said the plumes changed from black smoke to grey and then “bright orange flames” as the fire took hold.

“It smelled electrical rather than that black, smoky smell.”

Fire engulfed Ric's Restaurant at Te Arai Links golf course. Photo / Supplied

Staff were “really amazing” throughout the process, they said.

“I just felt so sorry for them.

“Many of the staff at Ric’s live on site, so they were watching this happen to their home as well as their workplace.”

Te Arai Links said Sunday afternoon via a social media post that it had been a “very emotional day”.

“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the fire brigade for their rapid response,” a spokesperson said.

“Ric’s is more than a restaurant – it’s the heartbeat of Te Arai Links. It’s where our team and our guests come together, and where so many moments have been created.”

The investigation into the fire continues.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.