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NZ packaging fire caused by overcrowded factory

A fire inside a packaging plant in New Zealand has been blamed on the operation working “over capacity.”

Haw Packaging, in Hastings on the north island, was issued a letter from authorities stating the facility was overcrowded, after a smaller blaze last year.

The company makes egg crates and packaging for fruit, and on Tuesday 18 people from six homes were evacuated, as fire crews feared the huge blaze would spread to nearby factories and houses.

The fire was the third at the site, and Hawke’s Bay fire brigade assistant area manager Nigel Hall said the company was warned about some “general housekeeping” that needed to be performed following the last blaze in October which was caused by a front loader scrapping the concrete, causing a spark and igniting paper.

"The premises has basically outgrown its capacity in relation to the storage of the product that they are producing,” he said.

"The packaging stack, from the Fire Service’s point of view, is too close to the premises.

"The owner knows this and they have been planning to move from this site for at least a year."

Hawk Packaging general manager Tim Combs admitted the company knew it was storing packaging to close to the side of the building, and the size of the plant did provide “some challenges.”

"The last two fires that we’ve had both started in our paper store room, which is a concern,” he said.

"One of the reasons we were looking to shift was to be able to store products more efficiently than we currently have it."

Combs began considering a move when he bought the business two years ago and the company is looking to relocate in July.

"Essentially as soon as we came here we had a look at the business.

"We thought we needed to move forward over the next 10 years or so.

"Plans have been in place from as soon as we arrived, and so I’d like to think we’ve been working on addressing the necessary issues since we arrived here."

He said the company has been working hard to reduce any fire risk.
"I’ve been in the paper industry for 20 years now and we never take fire risk lightly.

“It’s something that is always a priority for us.

"At the end of the day, that doesn’t excuse the fact that we still had a fire."

Image: Hawkes Bay Today

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