- A fire at an industrial building in Penrose, central Auckland, broke out early Tuesday morning.
- More than 100 firefighters are working to contain and extinguish the blaze, releasing toxic smoke.
- Residents in three suburbs have been warned to stay indoors with their windows closed as winds carry the smoke west and south.
Fire and Emergency NZ is asking Auckland residents in three Auckland suburbs to stay indoors and keep their windows closed after a fire at an industrial building overnight in Penrose.
The fire has created a potentially toxic plume of smoke, which is carried by the wind over Onehunga, Mangere Bridge and Favona.
Fire and Emergency was alerted at 1:55 a.m. Tuesday to the fire at an industrial building in Neilson St.
More than 100 firefighters are involved in controlling and extinguishing the fire.
Local residents received an emergency message warning them to stay indoors.
Jason Dorday/Things
Firefighters and emergency services are present at the fire in Penrose on Tuesday morning.
Were you affected by the fire? Send photos and news tips to [email protected]
Adam Holland, 31, saw the fire at 2 a.m. while walking his dog on One Tree Hill.
‘I thought it couldn’t be steam, it was too high and black and barren. So I keep walking.
“There were explosions. They looked like very large fireballs. I was on One Tree Hill and could hear them from there,” he said.
Fire Department spokesman Brad Mosby said firefighters had done well to get the blaze under control, but there were unknown substances in the building that created a potentially toxic plume of smoke.
“Our firefighters have done a very good job of containing the fire spread in the building,” Mosby said.
“To start with, the smoke went straight up, but the wind is now carrying it over Onehunga, Mangere Bridge and Favona, so we’re asking residents to keep their windows closed and stay indoors this morning if possible.
“We would also advise people to stay away from the Neilson St area of Penrose,” he said.
Traffic on Neilson St and surrounding areas is building up. State Highway 1 is heavy from Penrose towards the city.
Police will contact the fire service to determine the circumstances of the fire.
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