Fire crews contain large fire near Thames which was shooting black smoke into the air

Firefighters have contained a large fire at a recycling plant near Thames which had sent black plumes of toxic smoke into the air.

Plastic material, which was earlier burning out of control, was melting and sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky throughout the afternoon.

However, earlier this evening fire crews were able to contain the blaze which first ignited around 2.30pm, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said.

No buildings were damaged or people hurt in the afternoon's massive blaze which at one point had 12 to 14 fire appliances on scene.

The FENZ spokesman said there had been concerns about finding a water source to fight the blaze throughout the night but one had been established.

We're at Smart environmental. Be a long few hours yet. Proper update later. -AG-

Posted by Thames Volunteer Fire Brigade on Wednesday, 6 March 2019

Smart Environmental managing director Grahame Christian told Newstalk ZB the fire was restricted to plastics outside the building beside State Highway 26.

The plant shares the site with the Carter Holt Harvey mill in Kopu where another fire raged in April last year.

FENZ first received phone calls about the blaze at 2.30pm while a police spokesperson said they were notified by FENZ at 2.45pm.

On arrival, fire crews discovered a number of plastic bales on fire. A spokesman said the fire was about 200 metres by 100 metres in size and "well-involved".

Photo / Alan Gibson

De-Ana Wensor said the fire was massive and strong winds in the area were making it swirl into the air "like a twister".

Wensor said she saw last year's fire, which appeared to be bigger, but the size of this fire was still impressive.

Eve Gibson, near Matatoki, said the sky near the fire was filled with smoke.

"It's just masses and masses of black smoke pouring out" she said. "The smell is just unbelievable, it's so strong.

"There are heaps of cars stopping on the side of the road to look at it, because it's just huge."

Thick black smoke is billowing in to the air. Photo / Ash Wearing

Meanwhile, a woman south of the fire told the Herald there was a lot of black smoke rising into the sky from the fire.

"I thought it looked like a rain cloud at first, it's very dark out here," she said.

Mainfreight worker Ash Wearing told the Herald the fire made yesterday's blaze in Manurewa in Auckland look small by comparison.

"I drive to Whitianga and back every day and when I first got back to the yard I happened to look out and see a little bit of smoke," he said.

"Now its huge ... it's massive, it makes the one in Manurewa look tiny."

Smoke continues to shoot into the sky. Photo / De-Ana Wensor

Wearing was unable to see any flames from the Mainfreight yard which is around 2-3km away from the blaze.

St John spokeswoman Beverley Tse said they were assisting FENZ at the scene.

Two managers, two ambulances and a command unit from Auckland had been sent to assist, Tse said.

Further down the road, a spokesman of the Thames Golf Club said the wind was pushing the fire southwards.

He first noticed the blaze when he saw black smoke pouring into the sky about 2.30pm, he told the Herald.

The fire appeared to be near a waste management site further down the road from the golf course, he said.

Flat Bush fire

Elsewhere, a vegetation fire has been contained near Flat Bush, Auckland.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said they were called to the fire about 2.25pm and the blaze grew to a size around 300 metres by 50 metres.

However, crews on the scene were able to bring it under control and are now dampening down hot spots.

Kopu fire at the same site

A fire broke out at the Carter Holt Harvey mill in Kopu - at the same site as today's Thames fire - in April last year.

At the time, residents reporting seeing large flames from as far away as Ngāruawāhia.

Twenty fire appliances were sent to battle the blaze as two large piles of wooden pallets went up in smoke.

The fire burned throughout the night, fire services first being alerted to the incident at 9.30pm.

Call #100: Mill fire near Kopu, from Tues 10/4 & Wed 11/4. (Pics credit: RFF Rick Watson) -AG-

Posted by Thames Volunteer Fire Brigade on Tuesday, 10 April 2018