Major blaze at Taupo plastics factory

Firefighters are at the scene of the blaze. Photo / File

Fire crews at a Taupo plastics factory have now left the scene after a major blaze tore through the building.

Northern communications centre shift manager Megan Ruru said about 12 fire trucks were called to the Laminex Group located on Centennial Drive at about 7.35pm yesterday.

It was earlier reported firefighters with 10 fire trucks from as far away as Tokoroa and Rotorua responded to the fire and it was contained at about 11pm. A Fire Service spokesman said they were battling a "dust cyclone" outside the factory, while several other fires were burning inside the building.

"There has been a dust explosion and fire that has moved through four cyclones and conveyer belt system of the wood manufacturing plant," he said.

Some firefighters worked through the internal conveyer system extinguishing spot fires, while 40 others continued their external fire attack on the conveyer silo system using foam.