Car crashes into Awatoto fertiliser factory, starting large sulphur fire

Firefighters battled a large sulphur fire at Ravensdown Napier Works, Awatoto, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Photo / Ian Cooper

Firefighters spent almost four hours battling a large sulphur fire that started after a car crashed into a Napier fertiliser plant on Sunday morning.

Emergency services were called to Ravensdown Napier Works on Waitangi Rd in Awatoto, Napier, about 2.09am on Sunday.

The fire, which required the presence of 10 fire trucks from around the region, forced the closure of State Highway 51 as a precautionary measure, until it was out.

Ravensdown chief executive Greg Campbell told RNZ that a car crashed through a fence at the plant and into a building and caught fire.

"We don't know how or why that has occurred," he said.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said the car was reported on fire on the ground floor of the building and two fire trucks and a supporting unit attended and found a small sulphur fire.

But the fire quickly escalated and spread through part of the five-storey building.

An additional seven fire trucks were dispatched as a result.

The blaze was eventually brought under control by firefighters and was declared out at 5.45am on Sunday - almost four hours after the initial call.

RNZ reported that the fire may have been ignited by the crashed car's hot exhaust, but fire investigators refused to confirm this on Sunday.

In December 2016, firefighters battled a sulphur fire at Ravensdown Napier Works, with 12 fire trucks and 60 firefighters attending the blaze.

At the time, there was about 800 tons of sulphur in the building.

Campbell told RNZ there was no structural damage and the plant would open for business as usual on Monday after the "unusual" incident.

A police spokeswoman said an investigation into the circumstances is under way.