A sprinkler system prevented a Mount Maunganui chemical plant from being destroyed when a major fire broke out, according to the fire service's incident commander.
Fire service Bay of Plenty coast assistant area manager Graeme Easton said firefighters prepared for the worst when they were called to Lawter NZ on the corner of Totara St and Hewletts Rd on Friday.
Because of the dangerous materials used and made at the plant, crews from as far as Rotorua were among the 14 appliances that attended the incident, he said.
Mr Easton said a gasket between a valve and a pipe had blown causing oil to spew out. The oil then caught fire.
Firefighters, with the help of an engineer, closed the valves to stop the spill before going in to tackle the fire. The building had sprinklers which limited the blaze and helped put out the flames, he said.
Mr Easton said no one was injured and the plant was running again.