Thames fire rips through building containing stored plastic

Thursday, 7 March 2019

In March of this year, about 50 firefighters battled a blaze at the Smart Environmental centre. Managing director and founder Grahame Christian said at the time the company was fairly sure it was started by a lithium battery. (First published Octob

Stored plastic bottles have been engulfed in a fire near Thames that was visible from kilometres around.

Firefighters were called to a building that was well alight on Paeroa Kopu Road at 2.30pm on Thursday near the Carter Holt Harvey Mill.

It's believed to be a Smart Environment building.

The fire service has been battling a building fire which had a large amount of plastic bottles inside.

'On arrival our found a well involved building fire, involving plastic bottles approximately two hundred by one hundred metres,' Fire and Emergency northern communications shift manager Karen Larking said shortly before 6pm.

Black smoke billows into the sky from a building near Thames.

They were using an on-site water tank to help put out the fire.

'There are seven pumps, five water tankers, one aerial appliance and nine supporting vehicles,' Larking said.

There were no reported injuries.

'When we first arrived someone thought they were missing someone but everyone is accounted for.'

A police spokeswoman confirmed they were no longer required at the scene.

Police were called to assist at 2.45pm but had left by 4.45pm.

She said no evacuations of nearby houses were necessary.

Waikato Regional Council staff also went to the scene to ensure water runoff wasn't getting into waterways.

However, a spokeswoman said the scale and intensity of the fire meant water was just evaporating.

Brenda Ormsby of the Thames Golf Club said it's the second time in a year the building has been on fire.

Ormsby understood it was the recycling centre.

'It's pouring with thick black smoke,' she said.