Last Thursday, up to 14 fire appliances attended the blaze which began about noon. Despite the best efforts of firefighters, the buildings were lost, but the brick facade remained standing.
An investigation was under way into the cause of the fire but it was unlikely to be found due to the extent of the damage and firefighting efforts including pushing part of the town hall over to smother the blaze, fire investigator John Smalls said the day after the fire.
Yesterday, a Central Otago District Council spokesperson said while they were waiting for the final report from the engineer who had inspected the site, initial indications were that the facade was unsafe and at risk of collapse.
Traffic on State Highway 8, which runs past the building, is still restricted to one lane with a detour in place for southbound vehicles. Surrounding properties and the area in front of the facade have been fenced off in case the brickwork gives way.
A report would be made at the council’s extraordinary meeting on Friday.
