Staff worried after meat works fire

The fire at the Silver Fern Farms freezing works in Te Aroha. Photo / NZPA

Shocked staff at Silver Fern Farms, in the Waikato, are now having to weigh up how they'll put food on the table during the next few months.

A fire ripped through the meat processing plant in Te Aroha overnight. It's still not known what caused the blaze overnight but investigators don't believe it was suspicious.

Josh Barrett has been an A grade boner at the facility for 11 years, one of 350 locals who work there. He says he visited the site this morning and doesn't think work will re-commence there for at least six months.

"We'll just go on the emergency benefit," Mr Barrett said.

"I've got a mortgage to pay and kids to feed, it's a bit scary."

He says he was working at the plant yesterday and there were no indications of any problems.

Mr Barrett said everyone was shocked.

"It's not only 300-odd workers who've lost their jobs, but there's ripples going out through the whole community... They'll be feeling it around Christmas."

Chief executive Keith Cooper, told Newstalk ZB: "Whilst we would have lost some product, most of it was stored off site."

He was confident the site would be used again, which will be good news for the workers.

Company considering options

The company and its insurers were looking at several options, Mr Cooper said.

"We have got a great work force there, committed, do a great job. We have got a good supplier base in the region and we are in the meat business therefore, this may well create an opportunity to have a world-class facility put in place.

"That's an early call but we have a demand for the product, we have suppliers and we need facilities."

A complete rebuild was one option which would be discussed in the next few days with the company's insurers, Mr Cooper said.

It was too early to say how long the 350 full time, seasonal staff would be paid.

"I am meeting with them on Monday morning to articulate what we are going to do. We are certainly not walking away from them but until we have had the meetings over the next 48 hours and land on a project plan, I can't just reel off various options."

The company had comprehensive insurance which gave it several options, and staff may be offered places at other plants nearby, Mr Cooper said.

"They will certainly be paid next week. We are pretty confident our staff will be well looked after."

Cleanup continues

Two fire engines remain at the site of the massive blaze.

Northern fire communications shift manager, Scott Osmond, said some fire crews were still there doing a final clean-up and ensuring there is no residual fire.

He said a fire investigator was also at the scene and may return later.

Firefighters battled through the night to get the blaze in Te Aroha under control, after the Fire Service was alerted to the blaze at the plant on Stanley Road South about 11.30pm yesterday.

The fire appeared to have started in the slaughter area and moved to the boning room and the chiller block.

Since then crews from all over the area have been called in, with up to
19 fire appliances and about 66 firefighters on site at the height of the fire.

A fleet of tankers is also being used to shuttle in water from the town supply.

At around 5.15am today, fire safety officer Kevin Holmes told NZPA the building was still burning but fire crews had made "good progress" and the blaze was under control.

He did not know what had caused the fire which would be subject to an investigation.

About a third of the building had been engulfed in flames.

Ammonia and other chemicals were a concern at first for fire crews but they were found contained in a secure area.

Marie McNabb, who has worked at the plant for 10 years, told NZPA people had gathered to watch the blaze.

"It looks pretty bad. There's a lot of flames, a lot of smoke, and there's a lot of water going on at the moment. It's pretty major by the look of it," Ms McNabb, who lives in Te Aroha, said.

She said the building contained meat stored in freezers.

It was a "seasonal plant" and she had only returned to work in mid-October.

"It's not looking good for Christmas here," she said.

Luckily, nobody was working at the plant last night as there wasn't a Friday night shift, she said.

At the peak of the season, the Te Aroha plant, which processes cattle, employees about 350 staff.

- NZPA, Newstalk ZB