The cause of a burning smell pervading Mount Maunganui since the weekend has been identified.
A Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokesperson told the Bay of Plenty Times the smell was caused by a large, smouldering stockpile of dried distillers’ grain at bulk storage facility in the Mount Maunganui industrial area.
The council initially said, via social media, that it was a pile of tapioca but after an update from the company involved confirmed it was grain.
“A full fire did not occur,” the regional council spokesperson said.
“Excessive heat led to the dried distiller’s grain starting to smoulder. However, it was able to be controlled by spreading and cooling the grain.”