Fire Damages Te Anau Lodge But Structure Saved

A weekend fire caused significant damage to the luxury Fiordland Lodge near Te Anau, but thanks to the efforts of firefighters, much of the building was saved.

The blaze broke out late on Saturday night, leading to the evacuation of all guests. Fire crews from across Southland responded quickly and worked to control the fire through the night.

While Fire and Emergency New Zealand said the fire badly damaged parts of the lodge, especially the kitchen and conference room, they were able to stop it from destroying the entire structure. A spokesperson confirmed the fire was not being treated as suspicious and investigations were underway to determine the cause.

Former lodge owner Robynne Peacock visited the site on Sunday afternoon, where a fire inspector walked her through the damage. Peacock and her late husband Ron built the lodge in 2002 and operated it for many years before she and her business partners sold it in late 2025.

“I did not want to see it burning,” she said. “It all looks quite fixable and some of the lodge hasn’t been touched at all so we were pleasantly surprised and thrilled to see it’s not catastrophic.”

She said the inspector told her that most of the building’s structure remained sound, despite a portion of the roof collapsing during the fire.

Peacock added that it was a difficult situation for the new owners and offered them her support as they begin the process of rebuilding.

Lodge owner Vicki Onions earlier confirmed that no one was injured in the incident. Guests were relocated to local hotels in Te Anau as a precaution. Onions also expressed gratitude for the quick response and support of emergency services.