Fire guts garage on Taradale's Howard Road property

Fire crews attend a garage fire at a property along Howard Rd, Taradale, yesterday afternoon. Photo/Paul Taylor

A garage fire in Napier was brought under control yesterday before it spread to a nearby house.

Emergency services were called to the fire on Howard Rd, Taradale, just after midday and Napier Fire Service senior station officer Mark McGill said they could see the fire as they left the station.

"When we arrived the garage was well alight going end to end so we worked to protect what was around it."

Mr McGill said there were two appliances and four men in breathing apparatus putting the blaze out. They used a delivery hose, a big high pressure hose, as well as a smaller hose.

The garage was gutted and some of the fence on the side was also burnt but no other properties were effected.

Neighbour Alexandra Morgan said she was watching television when her aunty screamed out "Fire, fire".

Ms Morgan ran outside and all she could see were orange flames and "smoke blacker than a puffer jacket" coming from the Howard Rd address.

"It was a massive, black cloud of smoke, I'm surprised the whole of Napier hasn't seen it."

She called 111 and the fire crews arrived in time to stop the fire in the garage from reaching the home, which was close by.

Another woman who lived next door said she could hear popping and banging sounds before seeing huge, orange flames.

"The whole shed was basically orange and then there was a cloud of black smoke, it was pretty scary."

It is believed that a woman and her daughter livedin the property, but the daughter was the only one home at the time of the fire.

Mr McGill said no one was reported injured, however an ambulance was on site as a precaution. The fire wasn't being considered suspicious at this stage.