Loafers Lodge fire

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Loafers Lodge fire

What happened
- On 16 May 2023, a fire broke out on the top floor of the Loafers Lodge hostel in Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand. The building housed about 92 residents.
- Five people died and about 20 were injured. Many residents were left homeless, and others were displaced.

Background of the building
- Loafers Lodge is a four-storey building dating from 1971 that had been used as emergency housing.
- It had a fire alarm system with heat detectors and manual call points, but it did not have fire sprinklers, which were not required by the building code at the time.
- The building’s safety rating (Building Warrant of Fitness) had been renewed in March 2023.

The suspect
- Esarona David Lologa, about 50 years old, was later charged in connection with the fire.
- Lologa had a long history of criminal offences (more than 50 convictions) and mental health issues, including paranoid schizophrenia.
- He moved to Wellington after seeking emergency accommodation and stayed at Loafers Lodge from early May 2023.

The incident details
- The fire started on the top floor around 12:25 am. Earlier that night, a couch fire occurred but was not reported.
- Fire and rescue crews evacuated dozens of residents. In total, 52 people were evacuated, and five residents died. About 20 people were injured, and many others were left homeless.

Victims
- The five people who died were Kenneth Barnard (67), Liam James Hockings (50), Peter Glenn O'Sullivan (64), Melvin Joseph Parun (68), and Mike Eric Wahrlich (67). Parun was reportedly the brother of tennis player Onny Parun.

Murder investigation and trial
- Police treated the fire as arson and opened a homicide inquiry in May 2023.
- A 48-year-old man was arrested in May 2023 and charged with arson; by June 2023 he faced five counts of murder. His name was initially suppressed and later made public as Esarona David Lologa.
- In 2024, the case moved toward a murder trial. Lologa’s defense argued insanity; psychiatrists testified for both sides.
- On 26 September 2025, the jury found Lologa guilty of one arson charge and five counts of murder. His name suppression was lifted.
- He was due to be sentenced in November 2025, and in December 2025 he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years. The court partly credited his psychiatric condition.

Aftermath and responses
- The Wellington City Mission started fundraising for residents who lost belongings, with funds distributed over several months.
- A remembrance ceremony for the victims was held at Wellington’s Cathedral.
- Some residents sought legal relief to recover belongings from the wrecked building, and efforts continued into 2024 to restore salvageable items.

Reactions
- Prime Minister Chris Hipkins called the fire a tragedy and said the government would review regulations for high-density accommodation.
- Local officials, including Wellington’s mayor and Members of Parliament, described the event as devastating and called for safety and regulatory reviews.

What it means
- The Loafers Lodge fire highlighted concerns about safety standards in high-density housing and prompted discussions about sprinklers, building codes, and emergency planning for vulnerable residents.
- The case also raised questions about how mental health issues and prior criminal history intersect with housing and public safety.

Note: This is a concise summary of the events surrounding the Loafers Lodge fire and its aftermath.