Arson is being investigated as the possible cause of a fire which tore through Papamoa Hall last night.

Smoke was seen billowing from the single-storey building by a passing motorist who alerted the fire brigade.

The burnt-out remains of the Papamoa Hall.

Te Puke and Papamoa Fire Brigades were called to the scene at around 6pm and Te Puke station officer Ivon Pilcher says by the time Papamoa arrived, 'the building was completely involved in fire”.

'The cause is still under investigation,” he says, 'and due to the size of the building and the potential value, Tauranga CIB have been asked to attend.

'The building has been vacant for some time - I think for about five to six years.”

Ivon, who was in charge of the scene last night, says the emptiness of the building make things a bit hard as there was not water reticulation.

'I had to call for a tanker to bring water,” he explains.

'Police closed the road and it was reopened around 11pm once the scene was cleared.” Around 30 firefighters and seven appliances, including two water tankers, were involved in fighting the fire.

Today, the building is nothing more than an empty shell of tin and bricks, and the fire is believed to have started in the rear of the building.

Police and a fire safety officers are working together to investigate the cause and say the investigation is in its early stages.

"We are particularly interested in a vehicle that was seen parked up by the building before the fire," says a statement from police.

"It has been described as an old style vehicle with four doors and a sloping back. Shortly before the fire was reported a vehicle of similar description pulled out of the hall's parking area onto SH2 causing another driver to take evasive action. The vehicle headed towards Tauranga.

"If you have any information which might assist this investigation please contact us at Tauranga police station on 07 577 4300. You can also provide information anonymously to the organisation Crimestoppers on 0800 555111."

SunLive has learned that the hall was unused and in the process of being disposed of by its owner, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

Gary Allis, the council's engineering services group manger, says the hall has been unused for several years, during which there have been a few instances of minor vandalism.

'We just had a consent process to go through, which has taken some time,” says Gary today.

The intention was to sell - possibly to a neighbouring property owner who donated some of the land, or on the open market. It was insured for indemnity value, allowing for age and condition when the fire occurred.

'We will still have to dispose of the land, and we will still carry on with that process,” adds Gary.

'Once police and the fire service have completed their process, we will look at demolition and clearing the site.”

The hall was insured for $259,000.

The land was gifted by the McNaughton Family to the Tauranga County Council in 1930, to be held in Trust for the purposes of a Public Hall. The original hall, built of tawa and rimu, is believed to have been relocated to the site in the 1930s.

Since then the hall committee made further additions and upgrades to the building.

Due to a deterioration of its financial affairs, the Trustees of the Hall asked the council to take over the running of the building in 1959 and they agreed to accept the trusteeship.

More land was bought from the McNaughton family in 1969 and amalgamated with the hall site title. The hall society has since ceased to exist.

People with information about the fire, or who saw something suspicious in the area around the time the fire started, are asked to contact the Fire Service or Tauranga Police on: 577 4300.

Alternatively, information can be left anonymously via the Crimestoppers line on: 0800 555 111.