A group of courageous and innovative but, unfortunately, now thirsty locals helped save a hotel from burning down in New Zealand.

On July 15, according to manager Dean White, a fire started at the Seddonville Hotel after what appeared to be a gas-line fault. Luckily, locals quickly acted and saved the hotel by using beer to put out the flames.

White said they used about half a dozen crates of beer, which was a bit painful, but it was better to lose the beer than the hotel!

But the poor bugger that was grabbing them from the chiller, I didn't like the look on his face, he was a bit sad every time he passed a full beer out, he wasn't too happy but we got the result we needed.

...

It's easier to just get in there and do the hard yards and what you have to do because she would have been gone otherwise ... Sometimes you've just got to do what you've got to do, but it worked. It saved the day so that's all that matters.

Even the firefighter who first responded to the incident was impressed with the locals' quick thinking.

Seddonville volunteer firefighter Ian Mulholland saw the flames while heading home from work. He quickly checked if anyone was inside, called emergency services, and then headed to the station to grab the fire engine.

It took him less than 10 minutes to get to the station and back to the hotel with two trucks and another firefighter, but by then, locals had already reacted.

Our industrious locals actually got bottles of beer ... actually opening bottles of beer, shaking them, and putting the fire out.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, and thanks to those locals, the fire was contained and eventually put out.

It was also good luck Mulholland happened to drive by and see the fire when he did.

Another five minutes and it would have been a totally different story ...

I just travelled home at 80km/h last night, did a wee job on the way home.

It was the difference of a couple of minutes, but I just wasn't in a hurry last night.

The next night, White enjoyed a beer to celebrate the hotel being saved.

It's not quite as tasty with the chillers being off for the best part of 22 hours, but when that's all you've got, that's all you've got.

He also thanked the community for helping stop what could have been a potentially disastrous fire.

We will be back open again as soon as we are able, with cold beer.

Drink up, friends. We lost half a dozen crates of good ones. 🍻

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