Lower Hutt factory fire sees buildings evacuated and puts one person in hospital

Thursday, 19 July 2018

Up to 50 firefighters and 13 pumps were needed to fight an industrial building fire in Lower Hutt on Friday.

A scrap metal fire at an industrial area in Lower Hutt could burn for days, Fire and Emergency say.

The fire at Macaulay Metals in Seaview, which was first reported about 6.45am Thursday, began when a machine used to cut up old fridges set fire to foam insulation.

Fire Communications shift manager Carlos Dempsey said the fire had settled down by the afternoon but firefighters were continuing to turn over material to dampen hotspots, which continued to cause small flare-ups.

Fire and Emergency crews battle the blaze at Macaulay Metals as it burns precariously close to a tank of diesel fuel.

Fire crews could be working through the night to fully extinguish it, he said.

Fire and Emergency battle a large blaze in a pile of scrap metal at Macaulay Metals in Seaview, Lower Hutt.

Fire and Emergency Battle a large blaze at Macaulay Metals in Seaview, Lower Hutt.

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'We may have to rotate crews through. It could take days to extinguish.'

One person was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation while buildings surrounding Macaulay Metals in the suburb of Seaview were evacuated as smoke spread from the large fire.

Clouds of smoke cover the suburb of Seaview in Lower Hutt.

Fire and Emergency Hutt-Wairarapa assistant area commander Matthew Abel said the large fire was at the western end of a large scrap metal pile, which included insulation from fridges and other materials.

The pile was about 60 metres long, 20m wide and 10m high.

The factory fire was so large that it could be seen from across Wellington Harbour.

'There was a significant amount of toxic black smoke. At the moment we have two aerial appliances putting a large amount of water on to [the fire],' he said this morning.

Macaulay Metals finance manager Rachel Lavis confirmed the person treated at hospital was an employee at Macaulays and had since been released home.

Although the company had not completed their investigaton of the incident it was believed a lithium battery had entered a compression shear and caused a fire which then spread to other material.

The scrap heap was the only part of the property to be affected by the fire and other buildings, plant and equipment were undamaged.

She said small fires were not unheard of in the scrap industry and their staff were trained for fire emergencies.

They were hopeful they could reopen by next week but their priority was to ensure the safety of their staff and the public. They had been in contact with emergency services and the Hutt City Council, Lavis said.

Police are warning motorists to avoid Seaview Rd in Petone, which has been closed at both ends.

Seaview Rd remains cordoned off by council contractors. Dempsey said it was expected the road would remain closed until this evening.

Nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution.

The Hutt City Council have warned people in the area to stay indoors, close windows and turn off air conditioning units. If smoke could be smelled inside, people should consider leaving the area until the smoke subsided.

The elderly, children, smokers, and those with heart disease, asthma or other lung diseases were particularly at risk.

The council advised people to seek medical attention if they had been exposed to the smoke and were feeling unwell.