Two buses catch fire in Wellington during firefighters' strike

Friday, 19 August 2022

Fire and Emergency were called to two buses on fire on the Eastern Hutt Rd, Taita, Lower Hutt at 11.08am.

Volunteer firefighters have extinguished two bus fires in Taita, Lower Hutt, amid a nationwide firefighters’ strike.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said they were alerted to two buses on fire on Eastern Hutt Rd in Lower Hutt about 11.10am on Friday.

Four volunteer trucks from Stokes Valley, Seaview and Trentham, the spokesperson said.

A video on social media showed large plumes of black smoke coming from the blaze.

The fire comes as firefighters across the country walk off the job amid a nationwide strike.

A spokesperson for NZ Coach Services – where the fire took place – said fire investigators were now working to determine the cause, and declined to comment further.

“One thing I can say is that buses sitting in the yard with no electrics hooked up or anything don’t just spontaneously catch alight,” he said.

Witness Khai Biahgi said the smell from the fire was “pretty hectic”.

“There was also bits of floating ash around so [we] didn’t want to stay out too long. We work a few doors down.”

The fire comes as nearly 2000 firefighters around the country step away from their stations for an hour-long strike, amid an ongoing dispute between Fire and Emergency NZ and the Professional Firefighters Union over pay and working conditions. This includes more than 300 firefighters in the Wellington Region.