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A large fire in a complex of industrial buildings being demolished in Penrose, Auckland, may have been deliberately lit.
Fire safety officers say there was no electricity in the old Fletcher factory which once made hardwood.
The complex, part of the Laminex Group, was being demolished but fire safety officer Ray Coleman said there had been no hot work being done as part of the demolition.
"We are treating it as suspicious and are assisting the police in working their way through it," he said. "It appears to be more than an accidental fire."
Fire services were called to the premises in O'Rorke Road about 2am and 23 appliances were used to help bring the fire under control.
Fire communications shift manager Steve Smith said the building, estimated to be 70m x 300m, was severely damaged.
The building had been deemed an asbestos hazard but was in an industrial area and there were no reports of any evacuations due to toxic smoke.
Assistant regional fire commander Peter Wilding said the fire could be seen from the motorway en route to the scene.
He said the fire started around the roof area of the four to five-storey building and spread along the roofline.
A few spot fires started in the adjoining building but were quickly put out.
- NZPA, NZHERALD STAFF
