The former owner of the luxury Fiordland Lodge near Te Anau is relieved a weekend fire did not completely destroy the building.

Guests were evacuated when the fire broke out late on Saturday night, with crews from across Southland battling the blaze.

Fire and Emergency investigators were examining the cause of the fire although it was not being treated as suspicious.

Former owner Robynne Peacock and her late husband Ron, built the lodge in 2002 and ran the luxury accommodation for years until Peacock and her business partners sold it late last year.

Peacock arrived at the lodge on Sunday afternoon where a fire inspector showed her the damage.

The lodge was still intact despite part of the roof collapsing. Photo: Supplied

She said most of the building was intact, despite part of the roof collapsing and damage to the kitchen and conference room, where the fire was believed to have started.

"I did not want to see it burning," she said.

"It all looks quite fixable and some of the lodge hasn't been touched at all so we were pleasantly surprised and thrilled to see it's not catastrophic.

"The fire inspector assured us that the structural integrity of the building was good in most areas."

Peacock said it was a terrible blow for the new owners and she wished them well as they recovered from the fire.

Owner Vicki Onions previously confirmed no one was injured but all guests were moved to local hotels in Te Anau as a safety measure.

She was grateful for the swift response and support of emergency services, Onions said.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said the fire had badly damaged the building.

"However, firefighters were able to contain the fire which prevented some of the structure from being destroyed," they said.

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