Huge fire at boat-building plant

Firefighters work from a crane to put out the fire at Tristram Marine. Photo / Christine Cornege

At least 60 firefighters were needed to quell a blaze understood to be the largest in Hamilton since a fatal coolstore explosion in Tamahere two years ago.

Dozens of people gathered outside and traffic on SH1 slowed to a crawl to get a glimpse of the fire at Tristram Marine in a Te Rapa industrial area north of the city yesterday afternoon.

The plant was understood to be empty and there were no reports of injuries. A woman, who works at a neighbouring plastics factory, said she saw smoke coming from the building.

"Then a guy at the gate just yells out, 'It's on fire!'," she said.

"Not long after that you could see the flames going through the roof and the windows smashing."

Waikato Area Fire Commander Roy Breeze said fire crews arrived to find the site well ablaze. He said most of the fire was contained to the boat-building area and at least $8 million worth of equipment and stock was saved thanks to fire walls which allowed firefighters to cut the blaze off.

But the plant has suffered extensive damage with its exterior walls and roofing buckling through the heat.

Mr Breeze said the cause of the fire was unknown at this stage although fire safety officers were investigating.

He said the fire was the biggest local firefighters had attended since the fatal coolstore explosion in April, 2008.

"We had a fourth alarm [here], at Tamahere we had a fifth alarm so it was larger but certainly we haven't had a fire of this size since about Icepak."

The plant's owners were understood to be in Auckland at a boat show at the time of the fire.