Fire and Emergency New Zealand specialist fire investigator Matt Jones, of Dunedin, said a new monitored fire alarm system in the Roxburgh Entertainment Centre alerted Fenz to a fire and the Roxburgh Volunteer Fire Brigade had a crew there in five minutes.
"It’s pretty impressive. I was blown away. This is why we push for buildings to have alarms. They save property and they save lives," he said
The alarm checked where the fire started and immediately picked it up. There was visible fire when the firefighters arrived but without the alarm system the fire could have been through roof before anyone realised what was happening, Mr Jones said.
"Alarms work. They undoubtedly saved that cinema building and prevented the loss of that history and community place."
He was still investigating the cause of the fire.
What is believed to be the longest-running cinema in the world is housed in the entertainment centre and has been running movies continuously since 1897. There had been some damage but it was minimal compared to what might have been.
"The damage is nothing compared to losing that icon of a building, from my point of view."
Early detection was key to good outcomes and monitored alarms were to commercial buildings what smoke alarms were to homes.
"They protect buildings and save lives."
The 258-seat auditorium where movies were shown also had a stage and was used as theatre, and there was also dressing rooms, storage areas and a kiosk and toilets in the foyer. At the back of the building was a hall, supper room and kitchen.
The Central Otago District Council owned the building but the cinema is operated by a charitable trust run by volunteers who put all their profits back into the theatre. They bought a digital projector in 2023 and last year installed a retractable screen and upgraded the theatre sound system.
