Gisborne sawmill fire 'inevitable'

Gisborne residents say yesterday's fire was 'waiting to happen'. Photo / Paul Rickard

Gisborne residents could do nothing but stand and watch last night as their homes were threatened by a fire that, they say, had been "waiting to happen".

Dry scrub, piles of sawdust in the yard of sawmill Double J Smallwoods and strong winds fuelled the fierce blaze towards homes in Awapuni Road as 11 fire crews and five helicopters battled to get control.

The helicopters worked for three hours to control the fire while firefighters from all over the region fought it from the ground.

No homes were damaged, but a building at Double J Smallwoods was after the fire started behind the timber yard about 6pm yesterday.

Police said they were treating the blaze as suspicious and investigating.

Residents were allowed back to their homes at 10pm yesterday and the smoke was still thick in the air this morning.

Half of the back fence and garden at Nicki and Robbie Blair's home, which backs on to the sawmill, was destroyed by the fire.

"It was a pretty horrible way to start the year," Mrs Blair said.

"The house is still here but the paint is blistered. When I look outside and see the fence is gone it's scary - it gives you quite a fright.

"We have complained and complained about the mess behind our home but we have got nowhere.

"You couldn't see through the scrub...it was a fire hazard waiting to happen."

Mr Blair said it was the third fire at the sawmill since they moved into their home in 1983.

"This is a prime example of why a sawmill should not be in a residential area," he said.

The fire moved fast and the Blairs were given little time to get out.

"I smelled the smoke and within five minutes I could see big flames and ash coming over the back fence. I ran inside and said to my wife and daughter to grab anything special and get out," Mr Blair said.

"We got a few photos and our passports...got the dog and loaded her eight puppies into a chilly bin and got out of there. We weren't hanging around.

"The fire just built so fast. I could look through the windows at the front of the house and see the flames licking the back fence. We could see the firefighters going hard in there...it was fairly emotional to see that."

Mill owner John Gardner refused to comment this morning.

- NZPA