Witnesses to old hospital fire sought

Fire crews work to douse a blaze in the abandoned Glamis Hospital building, in Dunedin, early on Sunday morning. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery

Police are calling for witnesses to come forward in relation to the fire that gutted parts of the old Glamis Hospital in Mornington on Sunday morning.

The scene examination has been completed and investigators say there are only two possible causes of the fire.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) investigators were at the site of the former hospital yesterday and would return for a final look today.

Police were also investigating the circumstances of the fire.

Damage to the Glamis Hospital in Mornington. Photo: NZ Police

Southern Fenz investigator Mark Bredenbeck said the fire was being treated as undetermined, but there were only two possible causes.

Either it had been deliberately lit or there had been an accidental ignition from something like a candle or other naked flame, he said.

''At this stage we can't confirm any of those two as the cause but they are the only two we consider plausible.''

Fire investigators would be joined by a private insurance investigator from the North Island today, Mr Bredenbeck said.

''We're going to go back and have a look with that investigator but I don't think it will change a lot.''

Both the top and second floor of the three-storey building had been extensively damaged, he said. The older west wing of the building was extensively damaged in the fire with the top floor destroyed and the second floor gutted.

Mr Bredenbeck was unsure when the investigation would be finished but he did not expect it to take much longer.