Firefighting efforts have been successful in reducing a fire that engulfed up to 500 cars at a scrap metal yard in Christchurch.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand assistant commander Mike Bowden said the fire was contained, but was still smouldering on Friday and would be for some time.
He said the focus for Friday was getting the state highway (Garlands Rd) reopened.
“We will be scaling down our response over the course of the day. We are still encouraging residents and businesses in the immediate area to keep their doors and windows closed, and for people to stay indoors in case of flare-ups and smoke issues.”
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Environmental efforts continue to ensure the runoff into the Heathcote River is either stopped or contained. Booms had been put on the river and sucker trucks were being used to drain any runoff, Bowden said.
The fire happened at the National Steel scrap metal yard about 8pm on Wednesday, and was brought under control on Thursday.
Garlands Rd had been closed since the blaze began as firefighters needed to use hoses connected to water mains on the other side of the road from the fire.
On Thursday, Bowden said it was a complex fire to extinguish.
Peter Meecham/Stuff
Fire and Emergency staff continue to work at keeping the fire contained on Thursday morning.
“We’ve got to actually open up the big pile of cars to get enough water in there… There’s so much heat in the metal.”
About 10 residents were evacuated at the peak of the blaze.
The cause of the fire had yet to be determined.
Vipan Garg, the managing director of National Steel, said he had never seen anything like it before. “They can’t self-ignite.”
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The fire causes smoke to billow into the night sky in Christchurch on Wednesday.
No-one was onsite when the blaze began. Garg said five or six people worked at the Gardlands Rd scrapyard.
On Thursday, Neighbouring resident Phil Campbell said he had raised concerns about the site with Environment Canterbury, the city council and his former local MP Ruth Dyson, but nothing came of it.
Christchurch City Council head of regulatory compliance Tracey Weston said 14 complaints had been made about the yard in the past five years – mostly about noise – but none had been upheld.
PETER MEECHAM/STUFF
Woolston resident Phil Campbell says he’d raised concerns about the amassing and crushing of cars at the National Steel site with Environment Canterbury, the city council and his former local MP Ruth Dyson, but nothing came of it.
Environment Canterbury had received seven complaints about dust, oil and stormwater concerns at the property since 2018.
An investigation earlier this year found the site breached regional rules for discharging contaminants and stormwater, a spokesperson said. An abatement notice was issued.
The Tannery, a boutique mall across the road from the scrapyard with about 50 boutique retailers, was closed on Thursday due to the fire, but said in a Facebook post that it was open again on Friday.
Firefighters still working on scrapyard fire that forced evacuations, sent flames six storeys high & Latest News Update
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