Fire at Masterton pub brought under control

A large fire at Farriers Bar and Eatery on Queen Street in Masterton was brought under control on Saturday morning. Fire and Emergency New Zealand received an automatic alarm at approximately 7.30am, followed by 111 calls reporting a building fire. The blaze was located on the first floor of the two-storey building.

Firefighters responded to the well-involved fire with a third alarm, using aerial operations to combat the flames. Crews from Masterton, Carterton, Greytown, Remutaka, Avalon, and Wellington attended the scene. Wellington Free Ambulance was also present, but no injuries were reported.

Trust House chief executive John Prendergast stated the fire started in the roof space of the eatery and head office. He noted that while the fire was concentrated on one side, there may be salvageable parts on the other. Prendergast added, "there's extensive damage to the building and we'll be out of it for quite some time, I expect".

Crews remained at the site to conduct minor internal firefighting and salvage operations to protect unaffected areas and contents. Fire and Emergency investigators and police were expected to work at the site to determine the cause.

How it developed

• Sat 3 Oct, 12:46pmTrust House chief executive John Prendergast confirmed the fire started in the roof space and expected extensive damage.

Where reports differ

• Reports vary on the exact time the fire was brought under control, with updates provided at 8.35am, 9am, 10am, and 11.30am.
• One report lists the date of the fire as Saturday 3 October 2026.

Compiled from reports by 1News, Stuff, NZ Herald and RNZ.