Source: Radio New Zealand
Screenshot
A building in East Auckland’s Pakuranga is engulfed in flames with billowing thick black smoke.
A witness told RNZ the fire started at the Pita House on Cortina Place on Friday afternoon.
Firefighters said the blaze was threatening a second property.
Supplied / Karl Mirbach
The fire happened in the midst of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) strike. Members of the union had stopped work for an hour between 12pm and 1pm.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand deputy national commander Megan Stiffler said volunteer crews from Beachlands, Clevedon, Laingholm and Waitākere were at the scene along with senior officers, with further volunteer crews on the way.
RNZ / Karl Mirbach
“Due to the location, it took 30 minutes for the nearest volunteer crews to travel to the incident. The nearest career station is Mount Wellington, and they would have arrived on scene within seven minutes.”
Polic were also one scene and said the fire was reported just after 12pm.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
