Investigations will determine the cause of a major fire that broke out at Loumaile Lodge, a large derelict building in the Nuku'alofa Central Business District, on Wednesday evening,

Deputy Fire Commissioner Sinamoni Kauvaka said they received a report of the blaze at 6:17 pm, 25 February 2026.

“Our investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire,” Kauvaka told Matangi Tonga this morning.

He confirmed that there was no electricity connected to the building at the time of the incident.

Located on the corner of Laifone Road and Taufa’ahau Road, directly across from the Royal Tombs, Loumaile Lodge is a two-storey wooden building constructed in 2008 for commercial use.

There were no businesses operating in the building at the time of the fire, and no one was living on the premises, Kauvaka said.

However, Kauvaka confirmed that the fire started in a hallway on the first floor.

He added that investigations remain ongoing to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

Loumaile Lodge was built following the destruction of the CBS in the 2006 riots. It was originally owned in a partnership between Saia Moehau and Kololia Opra Maka and housed a 24-rooms hotel, a bank and a variety of shops.