Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) wants to support marae with fire safety after a major blaze damaged Tū Waerae wharenui at Hui Te Rangiora Marae in Hamilton on Sunday.
The meeting house, opened by Māori Queen Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu in 1974, was badly damaged.
Kereama Katu says FENZ offers evacuation plans, smoke and heat detector installations, and fire safety advice.
He notes that you can’t smell smoke when asleep, so these protections are vital.
“So that’s why it’s so important to have some form of smoke or heat detection within our marae buildings to provide that early detection so that our whānau can get out safely and go to a safe meeting place,” says Katu.
To contact FENZ for marae fire safety support, call 0800 MAHUIKA (624 8452) or email maori@fireandemergency.nz to connect with a Māori liaison.
