Bay of Plenty fire: Explosions, falling ash and billowing smoke from blaze in Minden

Fire in Minden area, Western Bay of Plenty. Photo / Mike Oliver

Ash fell and smoke billowed across a Bay of Plenty community after a large garage fire on Sunday night with firefighters from Tauranga and the surrounding area responding to the incident.

It is believed several gas cylinders exploded in a garage on a property in the western Bay of Plenty community of Minden.

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson said this morning the cause of the fire was still unknown and a fire investigator was on scene.

On Sunday a nearby resident said there was a large fire in the Ainsworth Rd/Loop Rd area after the sound of “a couple of explosions”.

Fire and Emergency NZ received a report of the blaze at 7.03pm.

More than 10 crews and fire trucks worked to bring the blaze under control.

“There are vehicles in the garage and several gas cylinders,” a Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson said.

The fire was brought under control about 9pm.

Fire in Minden area, Western Bay of Plenty. Photo/Mike Oliver

Fire brigades from Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Ōmokoroa and Greerton fire stations attended the scene.

A motorist who’d just drove past the property with the garage on fire said there were: “four or five fire trucks heading towards it in Loop Rd, and also an ambulance. It looks like a building fully involved.”

Another person in the Minden area said he heard a massive explosion and there were big bits of ash falling accompanied by a terrible smell.

“It feels apocalyptic,” the person said.

“There are massive black flecks on our lawn.”

Falling ash in the Bay of Plenty community of Minden after a garage exploded. Photo / Supplied

Fire services are at the scene of a large fire in the Minden area of Western Bay of Plenty.Photo/ Antonia Baker