Investigators will examine the cause of a fire which threatened to spread to a large chemicals tank at a trucking company building near Gisborne last night.
Firefighters got the fire, which started about 7pm last night, under control before it spread towards the tank at one end of the Weatherall Transport building in Makaraka.
A screenshot from a Facebook Live video of the fire posted by Gisborne mayor Meng Foon, who lives nearby. Photo: Facebook / Meng Foon
Gisborne mayor Meng Foon, who lives nearby, streamed a video to Facebook showing flames rising from the building's roof.
"Aroha to all the workers - to Jane and Steve Weatherell ... We at the council will do what we can to ensure that they are operational at least, anyway," he can be heard saying.
RNZ correspondent Murray Robertson said rural crews had been among those fighting the blaze.
"It appears to be under control at this stage but they are having a devil of a job putting it out," he said last night.
"A man over the road, who was watching television around 7pm tonight with his family - wife and four kids - suddenly he could not see the television set, so dense was the smoke."
Police were also at the scene, controlling traffic and keeping it moving, he said.
To share pictures or video of the fire with us, if it is safe to do so, please email to: iwitness@radionz.co.nz
Firefighters were expected to be back at first light this morning to dampen any hotpots and clean up debris.
In another fire overnight the occupants of a two-storey building near Foxton escaped unharmed, though part of the old house was badly damaged.
