Takaka dairy workers fear for future after fire

Takaka's Fonterra dairy factory workers are fearful of their future following the dramatic fire which destroyed the company's Golden Bay plant last night.

About 60 of the plant's 95 workers emerged from a 30 minute meeting at Takaka's Junction Hotel today looking pensive but remaining tight-lipped about their discussions.

The meeting was called by the company.

George Watt, Fonterra's top the of south site manager, said employees were devastated by the fire.

"Everyone's handling it differently. The main thing was that everyone was safe," he said.

Fonterra spokesman John Redwood said the company's first step was to assess the damage. He said while the factory was closed for production at the time of the blaze, there were some maintenance workers on site.

It is not known how the fire started, and Mr Redwood said it was too early to say whether the factory, which has a production capacity of about 1.5 million litres daily, would be rebuilt.

Takaka Supervalue owner Crowther Reynish said the fire was "absolutely devastating" for the whole town because of the number of people the factory employed.

"The town will have to dig together. I don't know how long it will take to ever come right. It just runs right through the whole community," he said.

Motupipi resident Will Harris said smoke was still billowing from the factory this morning. He said he was not evacuated as he was a safe distance from the blaze, but he could see clearly still see flames leaping from the building right up until 11pm last night.

He said the threat of poisoning from silos of sulphuric acid and caustic soda, if the fire had ignited them, was of concern last night.

- nzpa