A suspicious fire at a cafe near New Zealand’s oldest surviving building, Kemp House, was contained thanks to a passerby’s quick call to emergency services, according to reports. The blaze, which started in a storage shed next to the Honey House Café in Kerikeri Basin, threatened the 204-year-old heritage site but did not spread to it, officials said.
The fire, which broke out around 11:30pm on Friday, destroyed a storage shed adjacent to the Honey House Café and damaged the café’s exterior, water pipes, and electrical cables. Despite the proximity to Kemp House—a Category I heritage building constructed between 1821 and 1822 by missionaries—the structure remained unscathed. Both Kemp House and Stone Store were thankfully unaffected by the blaze,
a café spokesperson said, per 1news.
The Hero Who Stopped a Catastrophe
He emphasized the fragility of the site, noting that Kemp House’s plastic wrapping could have exacerbated a fire. But it was too close for comfort.
It was very, very close,
O’Hare said, per odt.co.nz.
A Historic Site in Peril
Kemp House, built in 1821-22, is a cornerstone of New Zealand’s colonial history, serving as a hub for early Māori-Pākehā interactions. The adjacent Stone Store, constructed between 1832 and 1836, also escaped damage. The Honey House Café, a two-story building housing Heritage New Zealand offices, was severely damaged. Despite its historic appearance, the café itself was built in 1976, though it retains ties to the area’s past through its recipes and orchard-grown ingredients.
Firefighters from Kerikeri, Ōkaihau, and Paihia responded, containing the blaze within 30 minutes. We're just very thankful that that Kemp House didn't catch alight,
O’Hare said, according to odt.co.nz. The site remains closed for investigations, with authorities probing whether the fire was deliberate.
A Legacy Under Threat
The incident has reignited concerns about the vulnerability of heritage sites. In 2023, a large stand of gum trees near the Stone Store was poisoned, raising questions about threats to the area. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) has classified the blaze as “suspicious,” with police investigating. If police found it had been deliberately lit, as was suspected, that would be ‘appalling’ and ‘deeply disappointing,’
O’Hare said, per 1news.
Kerikeri Fire Brigade conducted a 2026 exercise simulating a fire at the Stone Store, underscoring the community’s preparedness. However, the recent incident highlights the risks of human negligence or malice. The indicators are that this was a deliberate act,
O’Hare said, according to odt.co.nz. Authorities have not yet released the cause of the fire, but the site’s closure will likely continue until investigations conclude.
Heritage New Zealand has not yet announced plans for the café’s restoration, though it is expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future. The investigation into the fire’s origin could take weeks, with police and FENZ working to determine if it was arson. For now, the community remains on edge, grateful that Kemp House and the Stone Store escaped unscathed.
