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The cause of a fire that tore through a diesel repair shop on State Highway 1 in Te Hana is still unknown.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand were alerted to the fire at the workshop at 5.35pm on June 4. More than 30 firefighters from eight crews from Wellsford, Warkworth, Mangawhai, Maungatūroto and Kaukapakapa battled the blaze, with aerial support from Whangārei and support and relief crews from surrounding brigades as far afield as Auckland.
A section of State Highway 1 was closed, and traffic was diverted through Mangawhai while the fire was contained.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said the fire was largely extinguished by 10pm that night, allowing residents to return to their homes, but a presence was maintained overnight to monitor and dampen down hotspots. A small number of fire crews were back at the site the next day as further hotspots emerged.
One resident, who lives next door to the workshop where the fire occurred, said she was evacuated from her home by a workshop employee.
“I was making dinner, and someone banged on our door and said there was a fire outside. It was crazy. The fire was so big.”
Despite the large blaze, no homes were damaged, and no injuries were reported.
In a Facebook post shared after the incident, Maungatūroto Volunteer Fire Brigade praised the actions of the volunteer firefighting crews.
“An outstanding effort was put in by all crews involved, working together under challenging conditions to contain the fire and minimise damage to surrounding properties and exposures.
“These incidents are a great reminder of the strength of teamwork, coordination and dedication across our volunteer fire service.”
