Explosions as blaze guts building

Firefighters damp down hotspots after a blaze engulfed this West Auckland building. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Explosions thought to have been caused by gas cylinders hampered firefighters' efforts to control a huge blaze in West Auckland last night.

The fire gutted a building, destroying cars, computers and a large boat stored there.

The fire broke out in a workshop behind the Gordon's Native Plant Nursery in Waitakere and the building was engulfed by flames when emergency services arrived shortly before 6pm.

More than 50 firefighters and 12 engines battled the blaze and smoke could be seen across Auckland and from as far away as the Harbour Bridge.

Anxiety levels rose with reports that people were trapped in the building

Fire Service spokesman Jaron Phillips said the reports were wrong and no one was injured.

Emergency services received numerous calls after the fire broke out shortly after 5.30.

Nearby residents described a "big boom" and huge amounts of black smoke billowing from the building on Scenic Drive.

It took more than an hour before the firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control and police were called to close the road between Shaw Rd and Konini Rd.

Waitakere City fire chief Bill Ellis said it was the biggest inferno seen out west in a while and firefighters had needed breathing apparatus.

Investigators were "reasonably satisfied" the blaze had been started accidentally by a pot-belly stove.

The building, which measured 180m by 80m, was gutted and several classic cars being repaired there were destroyed, as was an old wooden boat, Mr Ellis said.

Property owner Graham Gordon said the fire began where one of his tenants was burning rubbish.

The middle-aged male tenant was unharmed, but would have lost most of a lifetime's possessions stored there, including dozens of computers.

The native plant nursery run on the same property by Mr Gordon's son was not damaged.

The property, on about 24ha of land, is well known to the Waitakere City Council because Mr Gordon lost a battle this year to allow housetrucks to camp there.

A district court jury found Mr Gordon guilty last year of 23 charges of breaching the Resource Management Act by storing car wrecks and having unauthorised dwelling units.