The Waimate Event Centre will be closed over the long weekend after a fire in the complex which has been extinguished.
The council-owned complex, which houses the library, gym and squash courts will be closed for the weekend.
Waimate District Council chief executive Stuart Duncan said the extent of the damage was still unknown.
“We do not yet know the extent of the damage.
“Everyone inside was safely evacuated, and the complex will be closed for the weekend.”
FENZ said it responded to an alarm activation at the event centre at about 2.25pm.
Two crews from Waimate responded and confirmed there was smoke coming from the complex which prompted them to put a call out for more help.
It was confirmed there was a fire in the ceiling which was spreading.
A FENZ spokesperson said the crews sought the assistance of an aerial appliance and another pump from Timaru and the crews removed some iron from the roof to access the source of the fire and extinguished it.
A fire investigator was at the scene.
Some iron supports were removed to ventilate the roof which have since been replaced, the spokesperson said.
“There is still no known cause of the fire, but it is not being treated as suspicious.”
