Damage only minor in Events Centre fire

A contractor was taken to Lakes District Hospital as a precaution after a fire at Queenstown Events Centre yesterday.

He had smoke inhalation.

Facilities manager Cam Sheppard said adhesive caught fire while contractors were laying linoleum in changing rooms under the Event Centre stadium.

"I understand when you put down lino you use a blow torch to make it tacky.

"For some reason, unknown at this stage, it got too hot and ignited the product," he said.

Damage was only minor.

The centre's aquatics manager, Alex Caldwell, who is also a volunteer firefighter, was paged just as the smoke alarm was activated.

"He grabbed the fire hose and put it [the fire] out in seconds before the fire service arrived," Mr Sheppard said.

The changing rooms were being renovated to bring them up to "international standards", he said.