A fire has destroyed a Taranaki meat processing plant which required 40 fire crew to stop the blaze.
The plant, Taranaki By-Products on Kohiti Rd in Okaiawa near Hāwera, first caught fire around 11am today.
The fire was well-alight at the 100 by 70-metre plant building as fire crews arrived. It was still well-involved and was not yet under control.
Initially, there were reports of two people connected to the building were missing but they had since been accounted for.
Fire and Emergency shift manager Murray Dunbar said six appliances and two tankers from North and South Taranaki had joined those from New Plymouth to fight the fire.
About 24 crew members were onsite and Dunbar estimated at least 40 would be fighting the blaze as extra resources arrived.
Dunbar said the fire posed no risk to other properties as the plant was located in a rural area. There was a section of the plant which was not in flame. Dunbar said it would likely not be impacted.
A man based in Hāwera said he saw thick, black smoke rising from Okaiawa and rushed to the scene.
"It's pretty bad," he said.
"The building is wiped out basically, the roof has fallen through."
He said there was no longer any open flame and the two tankers had left the scene.
The man had heard from an onlooker that products set to be transported to Wellington had been lost in the fire.
It wasn't clear whether anyone had been working in the building at the time.
More to come
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