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Neighbours of the Icepak warehouse said yesterday's explosion was an accident waiting to happen.
Arnold Koppens and his brother Leo have fought a long campaign against the company's creeping expansion.
Arnold said he told the Waikato District Council the coolstore was too big and didn't have its own water supply.
Yesterday, he helped chop down trees and pull down fences so firefighters could reach water supplies about 9km away.
"It took about 35 minutes after the fire for a water tank to come over," he said.
Long-time Tamahere resident Leo said the site had grown hugely over the past 15 years. "We have been thorns in their side. We have objected on the grounds of traffic - but I've also objected personally on the grounds of fire safety."
He said the business was "totally in the wrong area" and had burned down once before, in the mid 80s.
Tamahere ward councillor Wally Hayes said he was aware of local opposition to the expansion but had no safety concerns.
"They were mainly concerns about trucks and things - nobody ever thought it would explode."
Hayes said he was one of the first on the scene. "My main concern was about the gala [at Tamahere School]. There were hundreds of kids across the road. I thought the worst."
Iain Slight, one of Icepak's directors denied the brothers' claims.
"We've got all the safeguards in place that normally work."
"We have had a bit of trouble with neighbours ... one or two neighbours have been very outspoken."
He said there were no sprinklers in the buildings because the water would freeze. And he said there were no chemicals on the site other than those used typically in refrigeration.
Leo Koppens said he believed it was "the end of the line" for the facility. "Why the council would allow it to be rebuilt in the same place, heaven only knows."
