This morning’s massive fire destroyed a warehouse in Hastings and spread to a packaging store 50m down the road.
Central fire communications Mike Wanoa said the second fire flared up at 11.06am in the suburb of Mahora.
He said six or seven fire units were at the scene, but their resources were stretched after the first blaze that destroyed a building just after 9am, reported NZPA around 11.30am
Firefighters have gained the upper hand over that blaze that one eyewitness said left the area looking like an “atomic bomb” had hit.
The building was formerly owned by Turners and Growers, but now belonged to Balanced Investments and was being refurnished before use.
At the time firefighters reported a strong smell of chemicals as and they battled to keep the flames away from a six-tonne ammonia plant nearby.
Mr Wanoa said police had considered an “inhouse evacuation of the area” where people would need to stay indoors and close doors and windows.
Phillip Stevens, who drove past the fire, told Newstalk ZB it looked like an atomic bomb had gone off. Another motorist told the station the scene resembled a volcanic eruption.
Sergeant Andy Dow said police had closed roads in the area.
Enza Food managing director Jack Sowerby, whose office was on the same site as the fire, said the building had been destroyed.
“It was a very intense fire.”
Nearby residents reported ash and debris falling on them.
Mike Mewrick, owner of Youldes Sports Bar, about a block away from the blaze said he and his staff were sitting on their roof watching the fire that reached into the sky.
“It’s massive. It’s terrible. . .”
He said there was no explosion, just a “massive, black fire”.
Burning debris from the blaze, including plastic and pallets, was falling on adjoining buildings.
“We’re just getting all shit dropping out of the sky now,” Mr Mewrick said.
Another witness said smoke from the blaze could be seen from as far away as Napier.
