KEY POINTS:
Two people have been injured fighting a big fire at the Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill in south Waikato today.
The fire, in a recycling plant, is endangering surrounding buildings and has spread to nearby scrub. Firefighters are expected to be in attendance all night.
Fire Service northern communications spokesman Jaron Phillips said the fire started just after 2.30pm and so far 19 appliances and more than 80 firefighters from as far afield as Taupo, Hamilton and Tauranga were in attendance.
"The fire's in a recycle plant so mainly involves rolls of paper," he said.
"It's endangering buildings and has also spread and caught some scrub on fire, so as well as those appliances there's also a helicopter working with a monsoon bucket dealing with the scrub fire."
Mr Phillips said there had been two injuries so far.
"A member of the public has been taken to hospital suffering burns to their neck, and a firefighter has been transported to hospital suffering from dehydration and smoke inhalation."
Mr Phillips said that the building firefighters were trying to save housed the No 6 paper machine.
"The exterior of the building was about to ignite and that's what firefighters are working on saving at the moment," he said.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Mr Phillips said it was believed to have started in a waste skip bin.
More firefighters would be brought in to relieve those at the scene.
"It's quite a long duration event, we're expecting to be there through the night," he said.
- NZPA
