The Piha RSA is closed until further notice after a 'devastating' fire. Photo: Supplied
The Returned Services Association is hailing firefighters after a blaze at the Piha RSA on Thursday night.
A small smokers hut next to the main building was lost, but the fire was contained before it could spread.
RSA Auckland district president Graham Gibson said when he saw videos of the flames, he assumed the whole building was gone.
But the fast actions of local volunteers and FENZ crews helped save the main building, he said.
"The Piha RSA leadership are just thrilled that they were able to act very, very quickly. It really did save the building because it was a pretty aggressive fire."
In a post on social media, RSA Piha said its building had suffered "a devastating fire" that gutted the outside area next to it.
The RSA building - a social hub for the local community and visitors alike - was itself saved, however.
"A huge thank you to the Piha crew and other appliances that arrived so quickly and managed to contain the blaze."
The building would be closed "for the immediate future", it said.
A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said it received many calls about a building on fire just before midnight, and local volunteers were on the scene within 10 minutes.
Five fire trucks, a ladder truck, two support vehicles and a command unit were sent to the fire, where firefighters found a building burning.
The fire was extinguished, with the last crew leaving about 3.30am on Friday, the FENZ spokesperson said.
Piha Campground kaitiaki Fiona Anderson said the fire was believed to have started in the RSA's "smoking room".
The RSA is situated just across the river from the campsite, and Anderson said people noticed a "glow that didn't look quite right" coming from the smoking room just before midnight and called the fire brigade.
The blaze was "very well involved" by the time they arrived, she said.
The RSA was already closed when the fire was spotted, as they normally shut at 11pm on a Thursday, she added.
FENZ said fire investigators would be on site today.
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