A building in Pakuranga has been completely destroyed by fire and a person seriously hurt, with flames leaping from the roof, a local business owner says.
The fire broke out shortly after midday and firefighters, ambulance and police are at the scene. It was also in the midst of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) strike. Members of the union had stopped work for an hour between 12pm and 1pm.
One person, in serious condition, had been taken to Middlemore Hospital, St John said.
A large fire at a business in Pakuranga. Photo: EAST SKATE CLUB / SUPPLIED
Fire and Emergency New Zealand deputy national commander Megan Stiffler said volunteer crews from Beachlands, Clevedon, Laingholm and Waitākere were at the scene along with senior officers, with further volunteer crews on the way.
"Due to the location, it took 30 minutes for the nearest volunteer crews to travel to the incident. The nearest career station is Mount Wellington, and they would have arrived on scene within seven minutes."
Photo: RNZ / Karl Mirbach
A local business owner said the building is a write-off.
One witness told RNZ Pita House is engulfed with flames, and Cortina Place is shrouded by thick black smoke.
They say the street is currently blocked off by dozens of vehicles including fire engines, police cars and ambulances.
Another local told RNZ the flames and black billowing smoke could be seen from blocks away.
MP for Pakuranga, Simeon Brown, said he was "angry" on behalf of those impacted by the fire due to it happening during the strike.
"Union action that delays a response to an emergency is quite frankly reckless and the Union needs to put a stop to these reckless strikes which endanger lives, homes, and businesses."
Multiple incidents during strike, FENZ says
Stiffler said Fire and Emergency NZ received calls for 22 incidents during the one-hour strike. Of those, 12 were in areas impacted by the strike.
Apart from the Pakuranga fire, there was only one other fire which was a small shed on fire which was extinguished by the time crews arrived.
"We have previously sought to establish a process to which we can call on paid firefighters for more serious incidents and the NZPFU has rebuffed us," Stiffler said.
"We again urge the NZPFU to call off planned one-hour strikes at 12pm on January 16 and 23."
New Zealand Professional Fire Union secretary Wattie Watson said contingencies were meant to be put in place during the strike.
"That's a really poor inditement on their priorities. I would have thought while that fire was burning and we were on strike, all of their energies, all of their management, all of their resources were focused on their response and the necessary supportive response to that fire - not media to try and bash the fire fighters that are on strike."
Watson said volunteers and professional firefighters work side-by-side but Fire and Emergency were trying to drive a wedge between the two and it was dangerous.
"We absolutely feel for anyone who has been impacted by this fire ... the community, the business owner, the building owner, the community who rely on the services in this building, that's a rough day for them and they're caught up in this. Hopefully FENZ will really consider what they need to do to be honest and open and upfront with us."
She said issues with outdated machinery have been highlighted in the past after incidents of truck break downs during fires, leaving firefighters without water.
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