KEY POINTS:
A refrigeration contractor is counting his lucky stars after his ute "blew up" in East Auckland yesterday - moments before he expected to be sitting inside it.
The fire, which firefighters believe was deliberate, caused a nitrogen gas bottle to explode, which prompted an influx of calls to emergency services and shook the windows of stores more than 100m away.
Witnesses reported hearing a smaller explosion followed by a larger one as fire took hold of the vehicle, which was parked near BP Flat Bush just off Te Irirangi Drive.
Still shaken by his experience, Dave Taylor, business manager for Total Refrigeration, told the Herald he was just metres away when the explosion occurred at 1.15pm.
Mr Taylor said he was refilling gas for the fridges of the Cake Passion store and was on a rooftop about to walk down a ladder next to his vehicle.
"I was just coming towards the ladder and it blew up," he said.
"Smoke just billowed up and then there was a big explosion and that was it ... It was engulfed in flames."
Mr Taylor waited on the roof while Otara firefighters put out the fire.
"I'm basically staggered that that can happen," he said.
"Another few minutes and I would have been halfway down that ladder."
Subway franchisee Michelle Field said she was about 100m away when she heard the explosion.
"You could just feel, sort of like an earthquake. The whole ground kind of shook. It was pretty intense."
Fire Safety Officer Russell Dickson said he believed an "opportunist" walking past the vehicle had started the fire by putting something inside an open side door.
The fire has been referred to police for investigation.
