'Mum is safe. Don't worry': Auckland's SkyCity Convention Centre firefighters in pictures

Friday, 25 October 2019

Timelapse video by NIWA of the first 44 hours of fighting the fire.

Legends, heroes, and hard workers were just some of the praises heaped on the firefighters who tirelessly fought the SkyCity convention centre fire, and their efforts have been praised far and wide.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern paid a visit to the scene in Auckland's CBD and praised their actions.

'The team on the ground have been incredibly professional and very, very focused doing what they can to preserve the building,' she said.

Up to 100 firefighters battled the blaze in its peak.

But what did the firefighters have to say?

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'This is part of my daily work. We are normal people and we do normal things. Nothing special.' - Ross Guard.

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'I am quite confident in myself and all the other firefighters.' - Nicky Lafferty

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On Friday, firefighters were entering day four of fighting the fire.

'This is not the biggest fire I have ever seen. However, it is one that has received the biggest responses.' - Colin Dawson.

'This is a long-time fight. Everyone works hard.' - Craig Mourad.

'Mum is safe. Don't worry.' - Jane Bogust

'We are here. Don't worry.' - James Miles.

'This is the biggest fire I have ever seen. To be honest, it is scarring.' - Michael Boaler.

'Just as usual, we do what we should do.' - Leon England.

Nicky Lafferty, who has been a firefighter for 24 years, said working alongside more female firefighters than ever was 'pretty awesome'.

'I was on the incident ground with the most female firefighters I have ever worked with, all at the same job together,' she said in a post on the Fire and Emergency NZ Facebook page.

Michael Boaler said it was the biggest fire he'd ever seen and was scarred. Ross Guard said their efforts were 'nothing special'.

The fire started at 1.10pm on Tuesday but was brought under control on Thursday.

As the $700 million delayed-project disintegrated, more than 100 firefighters from across the country battled the blaze.