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A worker was forced to flee for his life after sparks from a welding machine he was operating set off a huge fuel fire at an Auckland car parts warehouse this morning.
About 70 firefighters were needed to subdue the blaze at the Strong for Honda car plant in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga.
Roger McAlister of the Auckland Fire Service said the welder was working on a platform 3m above a separator which contained surface oil and petrol when sparks went down a drain and set the fuel alight.
The blaze totally engulfed the rear of the building in about 30 seconds, enough time for staff to be evacuated.
Mr McAlister said it was lucky nobody was injured.
"We were relaying foam containers - being a petrochemical fire it's a lot hotter than normal and requires foam really to put it out effectively," Mr McAlister said.
Mitch Evershed, who works nearby, told nzherald.co.nz explosions could be heard from inside the wrecker's yard.
"I can hear things exploding. It's a car wrecking company so I imagine it would be tyres and car tanks," he said.
He said he saw the fire just as he was preparing to go out.
"There was some guy in there with a fire hose. It was one of the employees, I'm guessing. I couldn't see him, all I could see was water squirting in the air but it was like peeing on a house fire. The flames were just huge," Mr Evershed said.
Dale De Waal from nearby Sayers Auto Spares said about eight engines were at the site and police had blocked off Angle St.
"It's going to kill my day," Mr De Waal said.
He said firefighters were using a water cannon to try and extinguish the blaze.
Earlier this morning, smoke from the fire could be seen from the central city and as far away as Bucklands Beach.
The blaze damaged about 80 per cent of the warehouse.
