Papakura scrap yard fire: Cause of blaze not yet known
Thursday, 14 January 2021
The fire at a scrap metal yard in south Auckland has been put out overnight.
The fire broke out at Global Metal Solutions on Hunua Rd, Papakura, about 8am on Wednesday, sending plumes of smoke billowing across the suburb right into the afternoon.
Residents were warned to stay indoors, but after the smoke died down in the afternoon, the emergency alert was stopped.
A spokeswoman for Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), said the exact cause of the fire was not yet known but there had been fire investigators on scene.
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A few fire crew would return to the site on Thursday morning, she said, but only to collect gear which had been left at the scene.
On Wednesday, Counties Manukau area commander Geoff Purcell said the fire began when something ignited a huge pile of scrap outside the factory.
Purcell said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire but said it could be anything as simple as a damaged battery in the pile of car and industrial scrap exploding.