Ōpōtiki fire spreads through two buildings, third smoke-logged

Fire and Emergency were called to the large fire at 11.20pm.

• A large fire in Ōpōtiki spread through two commercial buildings and smoke-logged a third.
• Fire and Emergency New Zealand responded with eight trucks; the fire was extinguished.
• No injuries were reported, and a fire investigator remains on site.

A large fire in Ōpōtiki overnight spread through two commercial buildings and smoke-logged another.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager Colin Underdown said they were called to a single-building fire at around 11.20pm last night but the fire quickly spread.

He said they received multiple calls about the blaze on Church St and there were no reports of injuries.

Underdown said the fire spread to the second building and threatened to spread to two others.

Fire and Emergency crews raised the call to a fourth alarm when a third building became smoke-logged but did not catch on fire.

At the blaze’s peak, there were eight fire trucks on the scene. They have since left and the fire has been extinguished.

Underdown said only a fire investigator remained.